Reading Your Soul
by Saquoia
Summary: He's a cocky, conceited, spoiled jerk.' 'She's a filthy, stinkin' mudblood.' Hermione tries to teach Draco that there are things more important than blood, but can he learn the lesson, or is he only a bitter soul? RR! Slight language rating.
1. Poem of Truth

Prologue  
  
All through the seasons,  
  
Through the good and bad,  
  
Some can't realized what happened,  
  
Or what they really had,  
  
When they miss,  
  
The good in their time,  
  
Be there to help them,  
  
Sort their rhythm and rhyme,  
  
When the evil dark,  
  
Has over come light,  
  
When you no longer can tell,  
  
The wrong from right,  
  
When the day all around you,  
  
Is filled with despair,  
  
When your body is groping,  
  
For more than just air,  
  
When you feel things leaving,  
  
When things disappear,  
  
Hold everything important,  
  
Extremely near,  
  
When you feel like the world,  
  
Is falling apart,  
  
Live your life,  
  
By following your heart,  
  
When one person seems,  
  
To be something they're not,  
  
The one thing you need,  
  
Could be all that you've got,  
  
Hold on to all,  
  
That is good and clear,  
  
For things are changing,  
  
Changing quickly my dear,  
  
Your mind is morphing,  
  
Your feelings askew,  
  
The world is in need of,  
  
Of something new,  
  
Something that is strong,  
  
Through the night and the day,  
  
Something that can chase,  
  
The evil away,  
  
The evil among us,  
  
Has changed us all,  
  
We never knew that we would,  
  
Take the oddest of falls,  
  
The world cannot fall,  
  
As long as we stand strong,  
  
The world can last,  
  
With all right and no wrong,  
  
Hold tight to the feeling,  
  
Of passion and love,  
  
For these feelings,  
  
Are sent from above,  
  
Wish for the mercy,  
  
Work for the life,  
  
All can be possible,  
  
In a hard worker's strife  
  
I need a feeling,  
  
Of togetherness,  
  
The more I see you,  
  
The more I need less,  
  
Call for the help,  
  
And the help will come,  
  
Here just in time,  
  
To assure rising of the sun,  
  
When the darkest night,  
  
Has risen eternally,  
  
Hold on to those,  
  
You hold dearly,  
  
For without the love,  
  
This world is all wrong,  
  
Together we will,  
  
Sing an eternal love song.  
  
--  
  
A/N: I hope this poem is okay, because I wrote it in five minutes, please don't be too mean about it, and yes, there is a story coming soon!!!  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	2. Could It Get ANY Worse?

Chapter One  
  
Hermione Granger flung her book bag ten feet ahead of her and happily climbed up on a rock that overlooked the sweeping lawns of the Hogwarts school castle. Classes were over for the week and she didn't need to express her relief - it was written clearly across her face. She was using the time-turner once again in order to get to her all of her classes that she was taking. She had always liked classes, but sometimes she thought that she had too many classes to take and she wasn't going to be excelling in every one of them. Arithmacy, Astronomy, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, History of Magic - and this was just today! She was even having special lessons with the Herbology teacher and there was even a new subject this year - Advanced Transfiguration that even reached to Animagi. This subject was potentially dangerous because they were doing extensive incantations that required much concentration and one slight mishap could be lethal.  
  
If she thought about her classes, Hermione was sure that her head was going to explode if she wasn't careful. She had so many facts crammed in her head and so many homework assignments to keep straight that she had no room for a social life or any time to herself anymore, and she was sure that Harry and Ron didn't mind, because they didn't notice anything about her anymore. They had grown apart considerably since Harry and Ron had become "dating men" or "the hottest hunks" in Gryffindor, which Hermione didn't understand in the least, because there was nothing attractive about them dating forty girls in thirty days. In other words, they had found two girls that they liked and decided to dump five years of friendship with Hermione for a two day "fling". She didn't mind though because it gave her more time to herself - a rare treat that she hadn't had before and never thought that she would get.  
  
Lately Hermione wasn't sure what or even who she wanted to be anymore. She had always thought that she wanted to lead a political campaign in protest of the house elves situation or something else that would help the lives of some creature. She had even tried to start her own campaign to save the house elves from misdemeanor and cruel treatment but that campaign never really took off. "S.P.E.W." she called it, but some people (not to point any fingers but - Fred and George) had pointed out that it was going nowhere and that it was, by far, the stupidest and extremely daft idea that she had come up with, and that was saying something.  
  
Hermione was disconnected from everybody and everything, especially now a days. She was losing contact with all people that she had been in close relations with, be it either they lost interest in her or she lost interest in them, and she wasn't making any new friends to replace the gaps that were in her heart. Hermione was rarely seen in the company of somebody else and when she was, it usually had to do with classes or prefect duties, but even she had even been procrastinating with her prefect duties, which, to her, was a sin. The only thing that she really could concentrate on was her schoolwork and, even so, that wasn't going so well either. She was close to getting a below 100% grade in History of Magic and she only had a 105% in Arithmacy. The rest of her grades were slowly falling, but not by more that a tenth of a percent. By her standards, this was terrible.  
  
Hermione drug her knees up to her chest and clung to them as she remembered happier years that had happened in her life, but it only made her feel worse. Harry, Ron and her had been best friends and they were almost inseparable, the inseparable trio, but then, when Harry and some girl in Ravenclaw had started dating, things began to fall apart. Hermione could tell that Ron was acting strangely and decided to confront him, which sparked something she didn't expect to happen. Ron burst out and told Hermione that he liked her, and a few hours later he dumped her and told her that he had moved on to Cho Chang, because, as he put it, she was somewhat of a mystery and she liked to take risks, both of which he told Hermione she lacked terribly. Both couples were happily dating and in love, leaving Hermione in the dust all alone.  
  
It wasn't that she didn't want to have a boyfriend and be in a relationship, she had thought about it many times, but she didn't think she was what people would want to go out with. She wasn't "interesting" or, as Ron had told her, she wasn't a mystery or a taker or risks, so she was probably the most boring person on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She also wasn't what people would probably consider desirable. She was a scraggly bookworm who voiced her opinion and didn't try to hide it, especially if she disagreed. She didn't enjoy dressing in suspiciously tight clothes or wearing make-up, two vital accessories in order to attract any kind of guy when you were a sixteen year old girl - witch or not.  
  
She was still the muggle-born girl that everyone had knows for years, and, in her eyes, her appearance hadn't changed much, except for her hair. It had been frizzy and bushy, and now it was a mass of honey-colored, slightly curly hair that hung down to the small back. Other than that, she was still the same, boring, Hermione Granger that nobody did, or ever would like and she was growing accustomed to that fact, because it would follow her for the rest of her life.  
  
Sighing Hermione brushed some wind-blown hair out of her eyes. She was a witch and, as most people thought, a complete geek. It was far better than at muggle school though, because at a muggle school she would have just been a total geek, maybe even with a side of freak show. At least here she was able to excel in something such as magic and be somewhat accepted.  
  
She jumped and almost fell off the rock when a loud and magnified voice boomed over the vast Hogwarts landscape. Before it began speaking, Hermione plugged her ears by slapping her hands over her ears. After all, she DID want to retain even SOME of her hearing after the announcement was done. They REALLY needed to fix that, because it was extremely loud.  
  
"Would ALL students currently studying Advanced Transfiguration please report to the Great Hall. Again, would ALL students currently studying Advanced Transfiguration please report to the Great Hall. Again, would ALL students currently studying Advanced Transfiguration please report to the Great Hall. Again, would ALL students currently studying Advanced Transfiguration please report to the Great Hall. Again, would ALL students currently studying Advanced Transfiguration please report to the Great Hall. Again, would ALL students currently studying Advanced Transfiguration please report to the Great Hall. Again, would ALL students currently studying Advanced Transfiguration please report to the Great Hall. Again, would ALL students currently studying Advanced Transfiguration please report to the Great Hall." Hermione stood up, grabbed her book bag and hurried inside where the announcement couldn't be heard. That way she wouldn't have to hear the same message again, and again, and again, and. . . well, you get the point.  
  
Rolling her eyes, Hermione grabbed her book bag and began trudging towards the Entrance Hall as she juggled her fingers in her ears trying to make sure that she would be able to hear something when she got to the Great Hall. That announcement was probably heard in the neighboring magic school, and that was roughly 350,000 miles away. Not TOO far.  
  
Hermione tripped over a rock that she was sure hadn't been there a moment before, and had barely enough time to jump away from it when she saw that it was going to ignite. It caught fire and exploded, and she whipped around when she heard laughter. Fred and George Weasley were laughing hysterically and Hermione rounded on them, her hands shaking angrily.  
  
"You TWO." She said, in what was a fairly good imitation of Mrs. Weasley, and made the twins pay rapt attention to what she was saying and killed their laughter instantly.  
  
"THIS is the LAST time. I MEAN it too." She said, yelling at them with a steely death glare plastered across her face. Even though they were taller than her, they seemed to be somewhat worried about what she was going to do. She grabbed George's tie and drug him forward.  
  
"DETENTION, Mr. I-Want-To-Push-All-Of-That-Hermione-Granger-Girl's- Buttons-To-See-When-She-Cracks-And-I-Was-Stupid-Enough-To-Go-This-Far- Because-Now-She-Is-Gonnna-Kill-Me Weasley." She then grabbed Fred's tie, that he had been trying to untie before she got to him.  
  
"AND YOU!" she yelled as she yanked on his tie. He looked at her with a look of "don't hurt me" plastered on his face, but it receded when he saw how angry she was. She was making them walk forward with her, because if they didn't, their ties would tighten around their necks and strangle them.  
  
"DETENTION, Mr. Hermione-Wouldn't-Dare-Punish-Us-Becasuse-She-Doesn't- Know-Who-The-Heck-She's-Dealing-With-And-She-Wouldn't-Want-To-Punish-Us- Because-We-Would-Get-Her Weasley." She stormed forward dragging the boys, who were two years older than her, behind her like dogs on leashes.  
  
"I'M GONNA SHOW YOU!" She screamed at them and they nodded vigorously. They seemed to figure that if they agreed, then they would have a chance of being in less trouble.  
  
"DON'T MESS WITH ME, GOT IT?!" They both nodded extremely quickly and she shoved them forward into Professor Snape, who was unlucky enough (or possibly not) to have been the first teacher that she came to.  
  
"PUT THEM IN DETENTION!" She screamed at Professor Snape, who was almost going to object, but seemed to decide against it and smiled mirthlessly and led the Weasley twins to his cold office.  
  
Still seething with anger, she stormed towards the Great Hall and didn't care that her hair had fallen out of its rubber band, and she didn't care that her robes were falling off of her shoulders, and she didn't care that she looked like she had been run over by a truck. She was too angry.  
  
"Hey, Granger," said a drawling voice around the corner in front of her, and she didn't need to see the face to know who's voice it was. Draco Malfoy, the stupidest GIT in the world, Hermione thought angrily as she continued storming forward.  
  
"Granger, Granger, the "I-just-exploded" club is down the hall." Hermione rolled her eyes as she ignored him, but it was harder to ignore the explosion of laughter that ensued.  
  
As she turned the corner to the Great Hall, she saw the three last people she had ever wanted to see all in one place. Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Hermione paused, were Crabbe and Goyle IN Advanced Transfiguration? She was fairly sure that they couldn't control their own wands, let alone their own hands, which were always greedy for food or small first years to pound.  
  
Frowning, Hermione walked over to the doors of the Great Hall and could hear part of Malfoy's conversation with Crabbe and Goyle. Actually, it couldn't be called a conversation because Malfoy did ALL of the talking while Crabbe and Goyle grunted or moaned in answer.  
  
"So AS I WAS SAYING," he said loudly as though he was trying to get everyone in the area to hear him. "I agree with my father when he says that Mudblood scum shouldn't be allowed in Hogwarts, because they aren't capable of the kind of magic that the purebloods are. I THINK," he put heavy emphasis on the 'I think'. "That all Mudbloods should be slaughtered or left in their muggle homes, because, after, they ARE muggles anyway." Malfoy made a bucktooth impression of Hermione, even though her teeth were perfectly normal now, and Hermione ignored him, but it was harder to ignore the boom of laughter that came from the group around Malfoy.  
  
Pansy Parkinson absolutely shrieked with mirth and delight as he said this, and Malfoy jumped slightly at the sound of her laughter, which would have made a banshee proud any at day.  
  
Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her and rolled his eyes. Hermione totally agreed. Pansy annoyed HER and she wasn't even around her that often, and she wondered what it would be like if she was followed by her every single stinkin' day. Sometimes Hermione felt sorry for Malfoy, it must be hard for him to be a cocky, conceited, spoiled jerk all of the time, but then he would be extremely rude to her, and she would completely forget about trying to be nice to him. He got on her nerves all the time, and she didn't know how he did it. It was like he was put on this earth just to annoy her and say the right things to make her mad.  
  
Rolling her eyes, Hermione walked towards the tight knot of Slytherins, many of whom weren't even going to be allowed to STUDY Advanced Transfiguration, yet they seemed to come anyway. Malfoy was like a magnet; he always had a group of people around him all the time and he was NEVER alone. She looked at the group around him and noticed that he was probably the only one that was going to be studying Advanced Transfiguration, and the thought made her want to throw up. She was going to have to work with Draco Malfoy for the rest of the year, and quite possibly the next year. She would make sure that he was nowhere near her when she graduated.  
  
She walked right past the tight knit group and didn't acknowledge them in any way, which was bound to make Malfoy throw some type of insult at her, and she was perfectly ready for it when it came.  
  
"Mudblood!" he yelled to her, causing sniggers from the group around him already.  
  
Ignore him, she told herself and kept walking away from him as she tried to pretend that she couldn't hear him, but it really bothered her when he called her a mudblood. It made no sense to call someone something just because of the blood that ran through their veins - it was just like telling someone that they weren't allowed to eat tomatoes because their brain was pinkish, rather than purplish, nobody cared.  
  
"Hey, Mudblood!" he said again, and she whipped around, pretending that It was her name and someone she liked had just called it.  
  
"Yeah?" she said to him in a offhand tone, commending herself for appearing to not care what he said at all.  
  
"I was just wondering whether your brain had leaked out into that scraggly hair of yours, because you wouldn't be able to tell. Are you hiding an owl in there or something, because it looks like a birds nest!" Sighing inwardly, Hermione rolled her eyes and turned around, prepared to ignore him, but she wasn't expecting what he said next and it threw her totally off guard.  
  
"What about your parents?" he asked, and she narrowed her eyes, but didn't turn around. Her parents weren't something she generally liked to talk about. Her father had cancer and wasn't going to like more than another few years and her mother was already falling into depression, and he hadn't died yet. She had a little sister that had died from complications a year after birth, and their family had never been the same. Even though she had secretly been hoping that the cancer would disappear and her parents would decide to have another baby and their family would be happy again, she knew it would never happen.  
  
She was snapped out of her memories by the cruel sneer of Malfoy as he continued to taunt her and make her angry.  
  
"Are your parents as stupid as you are? And as ugly?" that touched a nerve with her because her father had been self conscious about himself ever since he had been losing his hair due to the chemotherapy. How DARE he? How DARE Draco Malfoy say such things about her family. She was almost about to whip out her wand and curse him, but she stopped herself, and not a moment too soon.  
  
Professor McGonagall walked briskly in and called order, but there was no need. With the exception of Malfoy and his cronies everyone had fallen silent the second McGonagall opened the door.  
  
"If I have not written your name on this list-" she rapped the list with her wand which made it glow. "-then I suggest you LEAVE, NOW." Nobody moved for about five seconds, then there was an immediate mad rush towards the door and most of the people were gone. It seemed that an alarmingly huge group accompanied everyone. Hermione was the only person that didn't come with a group surrounding her.  
  
Hermione looked around and surveyed who was left. There were seven Ravenclaws -  
  
No surprise, Hermione thought to herself, Ravenclaws are brilliant students with top marks.  
  
One Huffelpuff -  
  
Again, no surprises there, Hermione told herself as she continued looking at everyone there.  
  
Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, and a Slytherin she didn't know were the people from Slytherin -  
  
How did that COW, Parkinson get in here? Her grades surely aren't goo d enough to get into Advanced Transfiguration, are they? And who is that other person? Hermione asked herself as she looked at them. The person looked somewhat like Ron, because of their fiery red hair, but that was where the resemblance ended. The person had cold black eyes and seemed to enjoy glaring at people.  
  
As she finished looking at who was here, Hermione realized that she was the only Gryffindor that was here, and she was sure that she couldn't be the only person that had high grades, but when she thought of Harry and Ron taking advantage of her and making her do their homework, she started to believe that she may be the only person with good enough grades.  
  
"This is an Advanced Transfiguration class, and I will not allow any fooling around in my class. We will be covering some basics before launching into Animagi training, and anyone found to be unsuitable will be asked to leave. Are there any questions so far?" Professor McGonagall paused and waited for questions. When nobody voiced a concern, she continued talking.  
  
"Any people found disrespecting the rules will be shunned from the program and if your grades fall, you will be asked to leave." Hermione noticed, with considerable satisfaction, that Pansy looked like she was worried about her grades. Perhaps she wasn't doing so well.  
  
"That would definitely be a nice improvement." Hermione muttered to herself, in a hopeful stupor.  
  
"You will be living in a separate dormitory because of the nature of this subject, so you will be packing your stuff from your house dormitory and bringing it back here. You will live here until you are asked to leave or you finish your training. Please go to your dormitories to collect your things."  
  
Hermione's mind went completely and absolutely blank. She was going to live here? Here with the other people in the room. Here in this dormitory with MALFOY.  
  
Hermione's hand shot up instantly and Professor McGonagall looked at her questioningly.  
  
"Are we going to have separate rooms?" Professor McGonagall looked at her questioningly again, and then her expression softened and turned to a look that she only gave Hermione.  
  
"Unfortunately, the rooms will have to be co-ed, at least until we can see about adding a room." McGonagall looked at her with a mixed expression.  
  
"HOW MUCH co-ed?" Hermione asked, slightly panicking.  
  
"Well, there are four people per dorm, and we are going to try to keep people from the same houses together, but some people may be mixed with people from the other houses." Hermione groaned and hoped that she wouldn't be stuck with someone stupid - she had more than enough homework without the added pile of someone else's work too.  
  
"I am now going to tell you to go get your things, we will then spread out into the dormitory arrangements." Hermione walked out slowly as she hummed the funeral march under her breath - her life was over. 


	3. It Got Worse

Chapter 2  
  
"This is insane." Hermione thought as she walked toward the Gryffindor tower. "Co-ed dormitories? I respect Dumbledore and everything, but I better not be stuck in the same room as that pig, Malfoy, or else I'm gonna hex EVERY, STUPID, INCH of him then I'll curse what ever is left."  
  
Hermione had a fleeting image of Malfoy being sent home with his owl in an Altoid can and a small smile crossed her lips as this image became more and more appealing as she thought about it.  
  
Her happy mood vanished again and she kicked angrily at the old stone floor of the castle.  
  
"Co-ed my foot." She grumbled as she came to the portrait of the fat lady that opened to the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"Password?" she asked and Hermione thought this was somewhat stupid. What else would she be doing here?  
  
"Coloniem Dolines Cisque Nenquam Titalandus." Hermione rattled off in an off hand fashion. Who ever had thought of that password needed some serious mental help, because they were leaving sanity.  
  
She was about to walk in when she heard pounding footsteps behind her and she turned around to see Harry and Ron, her ex friends running towards the portrait and laughing about something.  
  
Taking a deep breath to steady her anger and frustration at the two boys in front of her, Hermione smiled broadly and said in a sweet voice that took all of her will power to keep from sounding angry,  
  
"Hi Harry, Hi Ron!" Her smile faded when she watched them brush right past her like they couldn't see her and continued talking without even pausing to notice that she was there. Hermione, now angry, stomped into the common room and the portrait slammed shut behind her as the fat lady grumbled about being open for EVERYONE to go through.  
  
Nothing could change the rage that she felt now. How could they do this to her? One hormonal rampage and they had turned against her? Had they really changed into these kinds of people? Friendship was only second rate to dating girls that don't know you anyway?  
  
I don't know what's worse, Malfoy or THEM, Hermione thought furiously as she swept toward Harry and Ron who were sitting in two armchairs by the fire - the one that she had used to sit in was shoved into a far corner where it had been moved ever since Harry and Ron decided they didn't need her anymore.  
  
Stomping toward Harry and Ron, she opened her book bag and took out their books, which had their essays in that she had been correcting for them. One in each hand, she hurled them at the boys and they stared at her in shock as they rubbed where the books had hit them.  
  
"Thought you may want those - they're the last." Harry and Ron still stared at her, unspeaking, and she was surprised to see how much like Crabbe and Goyle they looked. They looked dazed and shocked.  
  
"'Mione." Ron started, but Hermione cut him off before he could say anymore.  
  
"Don't call me that - we're not friends anymore - or do you and Harry frequently dump your homework on your girlfriends and each other. No? I thought so. And don't give me that look - you never talk to me anymore."  
  
"But, how are we going to get good grades on our O.W.L.s?"  
  
"God are you really that THICK Ron?" he stared at her, obviously at a loss for words, which was a first. "Go fail the STUPID O.W.L.'S YOURSELF!"  
  
"Bu-but who's going to do our homework for us then?" Ron asked, still not sounding bright.  
  
"AUGH! SEE?! This is why we are no longer friends. You don't want to be around me anymore because you probably think I'm going to make your GIRLFRIENDS jealous. Well, I, for one, am glad you don't care about me anymore, because then you would try to talk me out of switching dorms. Yes, I am switching dorms. I am moving to a more SELECTIVE dorm. No boneheads allowed - sorry guys." Before they could try to make excuses for ignoring, Hermione stormed up the stairs and began throwing her stuff, haphazardly, in the trunks.  
  
She no longer cared about order; her life was being thrown into disarray. She had lost her friends, she was moving dorms, AND she had to live with, quite possibly, with DRACO MALFOY.  
  
Still fuming, Hermione stormed up the girls' dormitory stairs. How could they have changed so fast? She had been stupid for thinking that if she did their homework that she would somehow become their friend again and they would want to hang with her. She should have known they were using her to get better grades, not to try to save their old friendship.  
  
She just wanted to get out of this dormitory as quickly as she could, because it held so many sad memories for her. They hadn't been sad when they had been happening, but now that it was over and she no longer wanted to include Harry and Ron in her memories, she didn't want to remember any of that stuff because it made her think about how much she had lost here at Hogwarts.  
  
"I can't believe this." Hermione muttered as she threw the contents of a bedside table into her trunk as though she was pretending that with every item she threw into the trunk she was hitting Harry and Ron on the head, or perhaps somewhere that would leave a more lasting impression.  
  
As she threw the last of her possessions into the trunk and slammed the lid closed, she was met by a certain red-haired girl that looked slightly unhappy. Ginny Weasley ran toward Hermione, and she smiled slightly. How could she have forgotten that Ginny would want to know why she was leaving? She had forgotten that she had friends here in the light of everything that had been weighting her mind down.  
  
Hermione smiled at Ginny and Ginny came up to her, panting slightly as she came to a stop in front of Hermione.  
  
"You aren't really leaving are you?" Ginny asked as she hopped from one foot to the other, a sure sign of nervousness.  
  
"Sorry, Ginny, I have to. I am going to be studying Advanced Transfiguration and we have to move into a different dorm. I'm sure that you can come and drop in on me all the time, or I'll come back to the Gryffindor common room. Don't worry, I won't leave you all alone." Ginny smiled again.  
  
"Alright, I'll just have to be the one that keeps an eye on my git of a brother, then, won't I." Hermione laughed quietly and hugged Ginny.  
  
"You do that, okay?" And with that, Hermione began lugging her trunk down the hall of the Gryffindor common room and out toward the Great Hall where Professor McGonagall was waiting.  
  
~+~  
  
After ten minutes of hauling and painfully lugging her trunk down the stone steps, Hermione was sweating and she stopped to rest. She was beginning to regret having so many books and she now marveled at how incredibly strong the house elves must be in order to move all of her stuff.  
  
As she sat there, resting, it dawned on her how stupid she was being. She knew magic, there was no reason for her to have to lug her trunk down the hall because she could have made it fly or feather light or something besides sweating over the stupid thing.  
  
"Wingardium Leviosa." Hermione said and smiled with satisfaction as she saw the trunk hover above the ground - a feat that she as completely used to by now but would astound many people.  
  
As she walked down the hall she saw that most of the people were already there, but she noted (happily) that none of the Slytherins had made it there yet, and that everyone else seemed to have barely managed to make it here before her, and if she had thought about the hover charm earlier, she would have been among the first to be waiting.  
  
As she approached the Great Hall, she noticed that although there were many people here, she felt a familiar sinking sensation in her stomach as she saw that all of them seemed to be friends and they were laughing together - it was obvious that they had no room for anyone else to worm their way in, meaning that she might not be enjoying this as much as she thought she had last year.  
  
"-And he was saying that muggle borns aren't good at any stuff, and I pointed out that Granger girl-" Hermione felt pleased that someone else had noticed her. "-and you know what he said? He said that Granger is really a muggle that is here pretending to be a witch and that Dumbledore is making it look like she can do magic." Hermione's pleasure of having been somewhat complimented by a stranger vanished and was replaced with anger. She knew that they had been talking to Draco Malfoy, because nobody else talked about her like that.  
  
Fuming once again, Hermione walked forward to check the lists that were hanging on the wall to find out who she was going to be sleeping with. With a growing sense of dread, she looked at the first piece of parchment hanging and saw four of the Ravenclaws listed together.  
  
"Not a good sign," Hermione muttered as she moved on to the second list. Her name wasn't listed on that one either. As she scanned the third list, she saw her name printed, and when she looked at who she was going to be sharing a dorm with. Three Ravenclaws. Sighing happily, Hermione waved her trunk to the dorm that she was to be in.  
  
When she opened the door, she saw that her roommates were already in the room and were almost done unpacking their things. With a sinking feeling, Hermione also noticed that their three fourths of the room were decked out in blue and white for the Ravenclaw house, and they had left a square for her to decorate as she pleased. Her feeble red and gold would look pathetic next to their blue and white.  
  
She sighed and began unpacking her things. I could have been worse. At least she wasn't stuck in a dorm room with three Slytherins, right? It could be absolutely miserable instead of just annoying.  
  
Hermione finished unpacking her stuff and she could hear the Ravenclaws whispering in the far corner and this caused her temper to rise higher than it had already been and now was not a good time. She was already annoyed with everything that had been happening before, and now that they were whispering it was becoming obvious that they didn't want to have anything to do with her.  
  
Sighing, she left the walls bare in her fourth of the room and left. She couldn't stand to be in there with them whispering like she didn't notice them, because she had made it apparent that she DID hear them, and they still hadn't stopped.  
  
She walked down to the common room of the new dorm and collapsed onto a couch. She was waiting for Professor McGonagall to come back, because she was appointing the new portrait that was going to guard the door of the common room and ask for the password.  
  
Please not that nutso knight that we had in third year, Hermione prayed silently as she watched a troll maul a tree and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione woke up to a sneering face and a harsh voice. Before she was fully awake, she knew it was Malfoy.  
  
"Mudblood, you missed dinner. If you're hungry, you can go clean it up and eat the crumbs. It might be more than you're used to eating though, so I wouldn't go too hard on the crumbs." Hermione rubbed her eyes and stared at Malfoy.  
  
"Go away." She said plaintively and rolled over, but she knew he wouldn't go away that easy. He existed to bother her and that was all.  
  
"Oh, is the Mudblood a little testy?" Hermione rolled her eyes and shoved her pillow in his face and hears a satisfactory "mmmphff" from Malfoy.  
  
"Mudblood scum." Malfoy spat at her as he threw the pillow back at her. Hermione glared at him angrily.  
  
"You're lower than the fluffy crap in an earthworm's belly." Hermione told him and went out of the common room and back to the dormitory before he could fully register what she said.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione flopped on her bed. The new portrait was WORSE than the picture of the knight, because it giggled and muttered things incoherently. It fixed its hair every half hour and screamed when a bug flitted across its canvas. Other than the fact that she generally hated it, she loved it.  
  
Hermione, bored of looking at a blank wall, decided to color her fourth of the room gold and red, obviously for Gryffindor, but it clashed horribly with the blue and white of the Ravenclaws.  
  
She drew the bed curtains around herself in order to hide herself from everything, yet nothing in particular. She shoved her head under her pillow. It was too much.  
  
"I hate this, I hate this, I hate this, I hate this, I hate this," she muttered incessantly to herself. She couldn't believe that she had decided to move in to this dorm. She had no friends, the Ravenclaws were talking about her right in full view, and she was in the same tower as Draco Malfoy. Things couldn't have been worse.  
  
~+~  
  
Stupid portrait, Hermione thought angrily as she contemplated whether she should do something to it or not.  
  
"Just let me in." Hermione told the portrait.  
  
"Not until you answer my question." Said the giggly portrait in mock seriousness and Hermione got the distinct impression that she was trying to mock Hermione, which annoyed her even more.  
  
"Let. Me. In." Hermione ordered. "I have the password, so tell me I can go in and LEAVE ME ALONE."  
  
"You have to answer my question." The portrait giggled and Hermione rolled her eyes before caving in.  
  
"Fine." She said impatiently, expecting an extremely stupid question, but what the portrait said threw her completely off her guard.  
  
"Don't you think that Draco character is kinda hot and stuff?" the portrait giggled incoherently.  
  
"Do I think - MALFOY?!" Hermione suddenly burst out as she had evidently realized who the painting was talking about.  
  
"Yeah," the portrait continued in a sing-song voice that made Hermione's temper rise even more.  
  
"NO." Hermione said pointedly without one hint of doubt in her voice and turned to go in, but it wouldn't let her.  
  
"Fine, what make up do you use?" the portrait continued.  
  
"I don't use make up, now LET ME IN." she said angrily, but was once again stopped, but this time, not by the portrait.  
  
"Granger, maybe if you used make up it would make you something that was better to look at, not that it would help much." He took an experimental sniff at the air and wrinkled his nose.  
  
"What IS that smell?" he said as he plugged his nose.  
  
"It's called soap. If you used it, you would know." Hermione said coolly. She kicked the portrait and it reluctantly let her in and Hermione was even more irritated when she learned that Malfoy was following her.  
  
She was about to go into her dormitory when she whipped around and came face to face with Malfoy.  
  
"Let me get something straight," she told him as she jabbed him in the chest.  
  
"What would that be, pitiful Mudblood?" Malfoy hissed at her and she balled her hands into fists.  
  
"Okay, first of all, THAT. It is getting OLD, Malfoy. Alright? It's like a nickname now and it doesn't matter to me, it just gets annoying. So, stop it." Hermione told him angrily and he grinned evilly.  
  
"Why would I stop if it even slightly annoyed you, Know-It-All Mudblood Granger?" he asked her and she knew that she was going to lose it if she didn't leave now.  
  
Whipping around again she walked into her dorm, stuck her head out the door, whispered,  
  
"You suck, fat, conceited, spoiled-rotten, GIT." And with that she slammed the door and hummed to herself to block out the sound of Malfoy chuckling in the hall.  
  
I hate him more than anything, Hermione said angrily as she kicked her trunk and then grabbed her foot in excruciating pain.  
  
A/N: Alright, I apologize for mistakes, please review and I doubt something'll be posted tomorrow, but I'll try for the day after tomorrow. 


	4. Suprise, suprise

Hey!! I like the reviews! YAY!  
  
freakyfairy - thank you very much, I like the compliments! *smiles* you make me feel happy!!!  
  
Alexis McLean - thanks, I try to be original, and unfortunately, sometimes it just doesn't work. I deleted an entire story before I posted it once, so, obviously I tried to be original.  
  
Lynx - you didn't offend me, and I am willing to accept any criticism as long as it isn't meant to kill my ego! I will explain Harry and Ron's feelings toward Hermione later - they didn't just go BOOM and change.  
  
Imperfectionist - THANKS!  
  
Angel125 - Thank you so much.  
  
Anyway, I had to put the notes to the reviews on this chapter, because the other two were already uploaded and I was feeling lazy. Thanks for reviewing - it makes me feel good!!!  
  
~+~  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Hermione woke up before the sun had even begun to rise, and she couldn't fall back to sleep no matter how hard she tried to. Her mind seemed to be blank and she found herself thinking. She was thinking about nothing in particular, but for nothing it was sure making her angry and irritable.  
  
Hermione decided to get dressed before the Ravenclaws in the room woke up, because she didn't want to have to endure pretending that she didn't notice them whispering about her in their private little corner and occasionally pointing to her as though she was on display. She had a whole new respect for Harry, even if she didn't like him anymore.  
  
Now finally dressed in her school uniform and her robes loosely on her shoulders, Hermione decided to go to the Astronomy Tower, where she would most likely be alone because it was early in the morning, so it was okay. Couples weren't snogging each other, or eating each other's faces off, early in the morning, so she was certain that she would be alone.  
  
As she walked down the lonely and cold corridor, her thoughts flickered to Draco Malfoy, because a large portion of her anger was centered on him. Why was he always so horrible to her, no matter what she did? It seemed that he was always acting the worst to her, even though everyone thought he would rather bug Harry or Ron, and even though what he said about them was terrible, what he called Hermione was the more scarring, or at least to Hermione it was.  
  
Hermione pushed open the door to the Astronomy Tower, still completely absorbed in her thoughts. While Malfoy thought of clever and only somewhat insulting alliterations for Harry and Ron, he used a foul and insulting term for her, making her think that he disliked her more than Harry and Ron, even though she didn't think that was possible at first.  
  
Hermione turned and leaned against the railing as she watched the giant squid swimming in the lake below her. It was so quiet, and so peaceful as it just drifted in the lake as though there was nowhere it need to be, nothing it needed to be doing. . . she could almost forget her anger and annoyance if she could just stand up here, alone, a little while longer. . .  
  
"Come up here to snog your invisible boyfriend?" said a malicious voice behind her, and Hermione closed her eyes, willing herself not to explode with anger at the sound of the last voice she had even wanted to hear, let alone now when she was trying to sort out her anger and emotions. It would only make things worse if she decided to explode in front of him. She turned to face Malfoy with what she hoped was a neutral expression, but she couldn't be sure.  
  
"What?" she asked heavily as she tried to steady her trembling voice because she was breathing violently in order to contain her anger, although she had the sickening feeling that she was beginning to lose the control of her anger. Willing herself to not explode, she looked at Malfoy, dislike plastered across her face.  
  
"Nothing," he said slyly, then his smirk widened. "I just wanted to tell you not to lean over the banister like that." He said, and Hermione gave him one of her famous 'looks'. Why was he telling her to not lean over the banister - was he trying to tell her to be careful? Of course, her answer was given by his next comment.  
  
"Seeing your face, people might think that it's Halloween." He told her, as he turned and chuckled to himself. Hermione felt anger surge through her. Why was he such a jerk - couldn't he just be nice for one second?  
  
"It's because you look like a hag, see?" he continued, completely unaware of the emotion rampage that was taking place in Hermione.  
  
Hermione's fists balled up in anger and she shoved them into her pockets to shield them from view. She didn't need to get into a fight with Draco Malfoy - not now, and not ever.  
  
She was arguing with herself, telling herself that he wasn't worth it, that she shouldn't waste her energy on him, but even as she argued with herself, she could feel that she was losing, and she was starting to lose control of her temper which had risen more than it had in the last few weeks.  
  
She turned heatedly on her heel and made to march out the door, but he grabbed her robes and made her look at him. Fuming with anger - she was sure that she was steaming visibly - she glared at Malfoy with five years worth of hatred.  
  
"What?" she spat at him and he seemed to be surprised at her anger - she was starting to lose her temper and control of her emotions and she didn't know how much longer she could hold it in before she completely exploded.  
  
"I just wanted to tell you that if I said anything to offend you, it was purely intentional." He said with another sneer and turned and walked away. Hermione was shaking with suppressed rage. How could he push all of her buttons that started the self-destruct sequence?  
  
"Damn you, Malfoy." She spat as she kicked the wall and then recoiled in pain. She hated him and that was all there was to it. He knew exactly what to say and he knew exactly what to do to make her feel horrible.  
  
~+~  
  
Over the next few days, Hermione had to endure endless hours of listening to the Ravenclaws whisper and random girls in the hall whispering to each other about how hot and cute Draco Malfoy was, even if he was in Slytherin. To her, he was still the worthless scumbag that she had known since first year and nothing was about to change.  
  
When she heard some girls crying over how he had insulted them and turned them down for dates just because they were Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Gryffindors, a quote that she had heard somewhere popped into her head as she thought of how they must have been feeling.  
  
'If you kicked him in the heart, you'd break your toe.' It was true - the only heart that he had was one made of stone and it was never going to be warm. It was cold as ice and hard like the rock that it was and there was nothing or no one that could ever hope to change that.  
  
Hermione left the sobbing girls to go be by herself while she roamed on the upper levels of the school. She just wanted to be alone, to have some time to think about everything that had been happening in her life without anyone interrupting or making her feel inferior. That was what Malfoy was for, after all.  
  
Just in case, Hermione snuck up the stairs, just to be sure that nobody saw her or followed her. She wanted to be completely alone while she was on the roof, because she was sure that someone would mistake her being on the roof for a sign of trying to do something vain, like jump.  
  
She had no intentions of jumping, she just wanted to sit on the roof where she was out in the cool and crisp air that seemed to help melt and wash away all of her pain and grief. She was afraid to be here at Hogwarts, especially while her dad could be dying as she was in a class.  
  
No longer having her friends to lean on, Hermione did a lot of things on her own now. She never talked about her feelings to anyone because nobody would understand. They wouldn't understand how empty she felt, even when her mind was buzzing with all of the problems that were crowding her life and threatening to take over her entire life. She was being controlled by her emotions that she could no longer keep within her grasp, feeble as it had been, it had now died.  
  
She thought it had been bad enough when she, Harry and Ron had stopped hanging out and were becoming less of friends, but when she had gone home after their big fight, she had also been given some more shocking news. Her father had deadly cancer and he was going to die. They didn't know when, so the element of worry was now cast into the pot. Then Viktor Krum was thrown into the picture. He had been dating four girls at one time while he was leading her on. Her, being a stupid hormonal teenager, had believed the pack of lies that he had been feeding her about loving her, and she had told him things that had unlocked the secrets of her soul, something she now regretted deeply.  
  
He had been caught on other dates, and the Daily Prophet had posted them for weeks, saying that he was a four-timing guy and that any other girls involved with him had better clear the area, or else they were going to get hurt, but the damage had already been done. She no longer trusted guys with anything. The doctor that had told her that her father was dying was a man, her EX friends, Harry and Ron, had also been guys, and now she had been dumped by the guy that she had invested her life into and had trusted beyond all recognition.  
  
Hermione shook her head as she tried to clear her mind from everything that had been troubling her and decided to try to focus instead on the stars that were twinkling above her head. They seemed to be detached from the universe, as though they were immune to everything that was happening below them. Hermione wished that she could be like a star and float up above all of the problems and troubles that were happening down here on earth. How amazing it would be to be able to leave everything behind and enjoy sitting there, gazing at the world below as she watched the other people going about their lives, bustling, whistling, laughing, crying.  
  
Hermione sighed as she realized that she was dreaming of things that would never happen. She couldn't fly on a broomstick let alone on the night's sky. There was no way that she would be able to connect with the stars. Before she could stop them, tears came flooding down her cheeks as she continued thinking about everything that was happening. She wanted to be at home with her father. It could be his last night to sleep and she was holed up here, at a boarding school while she waited for the bad news to come, not knowing which would hurt her more - to know he was dead, or to not know until she came home.  
  
Hermione drew a deep breath to steady herself as her breathing had become rugged and uneven. She missed her family, even though it wasn't the greatest family anymore. At least they loved her and she belonged with them. Hermione suddenly wondered whether she belonged here at Hogwarts anymore. Maybe she should be at home enjoying her last days with her father. After all, she had nobody here that cared about her, so going home was beginning to make more and more sense as she thought about it.  
  
Deciding that she was going to pack a small trunk of stuff and catch the knight bus, Hermione stumbled down from the roof and somehow made it to the Gryffindor common room with no memory of actually walking to get there.  
  
She snuck into the dormitory, as she was careful to make sure that none of the girls were woken up. She shoved the necessities into her bag that she had left in the Gryffindor room and then she snuck down to the Advanced Transfiguration dormitory to collect a few more things that she would need. With any luck she would be out of here in the next ten minutes.  
  
When she opened the door to her dorm room (she had already wasted 15 minutes trying to tell the portrait in the front of the common room that she was in dire need of making it into the room before midnight kicked in.) she was surprised to see that all three of her room mates were up and they were all sitting on their beds, arms crossed and staring at Hermione.  
  
She froze in the doorway. What had she done now? What could she had possibly done or said that would make them decide to look at her? None of them were whispering or pointing at her, just staring at her as she walked in. Feeling slightly nervous at this sign of attention, Hermione waved feebly.  
  
"Hi," she said as she tried to be nice and smile, but it faded just like it had with Harry and Ron when they stared, fixedly at her and seemed to be trying to read her thoughts, invade her brain.  
  
"Why are you so late?" one of the girls asked, and Hermione stared at her. Why did she care? Normally they were in bed at this time of night, and Hermione had assumed that tonight would be no different, but here they were, still up and waiting for her to answer.  
  
"Um. . . I. . ." she trailed off trying to think of why she even needed to answer them, because it really was none of their business what she did, now, was it?  
  
"We can't sleep until you're here," the only male in the room said, and he, too, seemed angry as he practically glared at Hermione, and she shifted under his gaze. She didn't like the way that he was looking at her. It reminded her too much of the way that Harry and Ron now looked at her and the way Malfoy had always looked at her - with immense dislike.  
  
"What?" she asked as she stared at them in disbelief. How could they be so horrible to her? What had she done to them to make them hate her?  
  
"Why are you so late?" the boy continued, as he eyed her contemptuously. "We aren't allowed to sleep until everyone is here, and you weren't here, meaning that we couldn't go to bed. WE," he gestured erratically and unnecessarily toward the two girls that were sitting on their own beds, glaring at Hermione. "Would like to know where the bloody heck you were."  
  
"I was -" Hermione began, but she stopped again. She still didn't see how this was any of their business. Why couldn't' they go to sleep without her there? They were getting on her nerves and she didn't like they way that they were looking at her. She frowned and glared right back at them.  
  
"I was - " Hermione said again, and she could feel the anger filling her veins and leaking into her mind. How dare they tell her what she was supposed to be thinking, feeling, saying? She was not going to be a ventriloquist dummy, she was a human and she was determined to be taken as so as one too.  
  
"It's none of your business where I was." She said suddenly, surprising herself by her immediate rudeness. It seemed to shock her roommates who were also gazing at her with more and more dislike becoming plastered across their faces and Hermione sneered.  
  
It was so much easier to shut herself off from the world than face anything. She could hide behind this wall, this curtain, this veil of cruel and mean comments and scathing looks that would protect her from feeling anger and pain. She would inflict the pain, not receive it. With this realization dawning upon her, Hermione had a new sense of self. She found herself smiling despite herself, but this smile seemed to be more of a sneer than a smile and she looked malicious.  
  
Not caring what she looked like, Hermione flung herself on her bed and began pretending to sleep. When her roommates appeared to have gone to sleep, Hermione got up, packed the last few things in her trunk, and began dragging it toward the door. When she was out the door, she cast a charm on it to make it light, she bewitched it to fly, and she made it follow her out of the dormitory and down the cold stone steps.  
  
Seven flights of stairs later, Hermione was at the doors that led out of Hogwarts, and as she approached, she saw the torches flicker as she walked past them and her shadow danced on the wall beside her.  
  
Pushing open the doors, Hermione let the air rush around her and she walked toward the station where the Hogwarts Express normally dropped them off. From there she would summon the knight bus and it would take her back to her house where she would spend time with her family before it fell apart for good.  
  
As she approached the station, she noticed that there was a light on in it, but she brushed this off, assuming that there was always a light on in the night so that if anyone came they would be able to see their way.  
  
As she rounded a corner, she could see a figure leaning against the wall, as though they were waiting for someone to arrive. Hermione felt a pang as she realized that the person they could be waiting for could be her.  
  
Undaunted, Hermione continued walking toward the station. When she made it to a large clear spot, she grabbed her wand, and she was about to fling out her right arm to flag the knight bus when she felt someone's hand close around her wrist and prevent her from flagging down the knight bus.  
  
"What - ?" Hermione began, but she stopped abruptly as her eyes met the last person she had expected to be standing here, apparently waiting for her, and the very last person she had expected to be trying to stop her from leaving. Draco Malfoy stood, his cold grey eyes staring at her, with no hint of emotion behind them, and he seemed to be almost surprised that her eyes reflected the look in his eyes with the same feelings - nothing.  
  
"Going somewhere, Granger?" he asked in a voice barely above a whisper and so cold that it sent a shiver down Hermione's spine.  
  
"I WAS," Hermione said irritably as she tried to flag the bus again, but again, Malfoy was holding her arm in place as though he didn't want her to leave, but she couldn't think of any reason for him to want her to stay.  
  
"What are you doing, Malfoy?" she almost spat at him and he didn't show any sign of anything, he was almost like a dead shell or a lifeless dummy - then again, this was probably a vast and extremely great improvement.  
  
"Stopping you, Granger." He said. Hermione was shocked for a minute, as she could only think of good reasons for him to be stopping her, but then he spoke again and they few good thoughts that she had had about him vanished quickly.  
  
"Do you know how much you could hurt my grade if you leave? They would have to get another student for Advanced Transfiguration and that would mean, although I hate to say these vial words, that they would bring someone that happens to be stupider than you in, meaning that all of the things we did as a team would be worse than now, even if you are a stupid, low, idiotic, Mudblood." Malfoy said this all in his slow hiss and then he released her arm where she began to rub it. There was a red mark where his hand had been, because he had had a tight hold.  
  
Before she could spit back a retort she was gone and Hermione stood there, more confused than before and she brought up her newfound comfort. Her wall that was between her and the world rose again and she sat down at the station, head in her hands, wondering what she had done to make him stop her from leaving. Did it really have to do with grades?  
  
Yes, a voice told her, yes. This is Malfoy. . . that would be the only reason.  
  
A/N: Please review, I would like to have a few more reviews, that would be nice, yes. . . 


	5. Magic Fight

Chapter 4  
  
Hermione took a deep breath and ran over to where Malfoy had left, and screamed,  
  
"MALFOY!" but he was already gone. Since he was gone, couldn't she leave now? She could flag down the knight bus now, and it would take her away. There wasn't anyone here to stop her now, and she could get away from everything that was making her life worse. She would be home, with her father and mother, and she could enjoy time with them  
  
But a nasty voice in the back of her head told her that if she left a lot of things at the school would fall apart. She was a prefect, she was in this special Transfiguration class, and she had so many things that she was supposed to be working on and grades to keep up. She was sure that her parents wouldn't want her to come home, because they wanted what was the best for her, and leaving school and letting your grades drop is not the best for anyone.  
  
Sighing, Hermione turned and began trudging back to the Advanced Transfiguration room, where she would, undoubtedly, endure more pain and whispers from the Ravenclaws that were in her dorm room. She wanted to strangle the portrait at the front of the common room, and then she wanted to cast a silencing charm on the three in her dormitory, to make them silent for eternity. That would be nice.  
  
"My life stinks," Hermione voiced aloud as she walked up the large stone steps of Hogwarts school, and she nodded at her own words.  
  
There was nothing more that could possibly go wrong now, because everything imaginable had gone wrong. Everything in her life was falling apart, and here she was, forced to watch it as it crumbled around her feel.  
  
It felt as though someone was mocking her. Telling her that no matter how far she ventured, the ability to grasp something solid in her life was always going to be that one step ahead of her that she could never make, that one step that was impossible yet so close, that one step that was mere inches from transforming her life into something she could stand, or something that she would begin to regret for the rest of her life.  
  
Hermione could feel sleep prickling at her eyes and she tried to force it out of her mind. How wonderful it would feel to just go to sleep. To curl up and fall into a sleep that would rid her of all of the feeling in her mind and leave her as a feeling-less shell, something nobody could penetrate.  
  
Before she could think or stop herself, Hermione was on her knees, opening the trunk. She pulled out another pair of robes, wadded them up, and put them on the floor like a pillow.  
  
Placing her head on the pillow, Hermione closed her eyes and tried not to think about anything as she felt sleep overtaking her features, swamping her mind . . .  
  
She dreamed that a small ginger cat, not unlike Crookshanks, was basking in the sun, obviously absorbed in its own matters. . . licking its paws and mewing disdainfully, though Hermione couldn't see why.  
  
A snake was slithering through the grass, slowly sneaking up to the cat as though it had done this before. Hermione thought that the snake was going to attack the cat, but it approached it slowly and cautiously, as though afraid of the cat.  
  
The cat shifted over and the snake slithered over to it, winding its self around the cat's paw and the cat purred contentedly. Hermione thought this was odd, and that they surely couldn't stay like this for long, because it was sure to attack the cat. . . snakes and cats don't get along.  
  
Hermione vaguely remembered trying to grab the snake before she felt herself being flung out of the dream, moved, hurt. . .  
  
Hermione awoke to find herself on the floor. Although she couldn't remember most of her dream, Hermione remembered something about a snake and Crookshanks, but who was the snake? She didn't know anyone with a pet snake, and for that she was glad.  
  
Trying to shake this memory from her mind, Hermione began untangling herself from the blankets in order to go back to sleep. None of her roommates had woken up, and Hermione was extremely thankful. She didn't want to endure any more whispering than she really had to. She could feel herself slowly losing more control of her temper each time they pointed at her.  
  
Hermione lay down and she tried to fall asleep, but as she tried to fall asleep, something about the snake's eyes bothered her and she couldn't shake their image from her mind. She didn't know where she had seen theme before, but she was sure that she had seen them somewhere.  
  
She tried to think through her memories and remember where she had seem these eyes, but she didn't see any resemblance with any of the eyes that she thought about.  
  
Shaking the thought, Hermione rolled over and buried her head in her arms as she tried to think about absolutely nothing. It was going to be a long night.  
  
~+~  
  
As Hermione woke up and looked around the room, she realized that she was the only one left in the dormitory. She got dressed as fast as she could and hurried down the stairs, where she almost walked into Pansy Parkinson, who seemed to be waiting for her to come down the stairs.  
  
"Watch it, Cow." Hermione said so that only Pansy could hear as she walked toward a couch and sat down. Just as she sat down, Professor McGonagall walked in and Hermione slowly stood up.  
  
"I need everyone to listen," Professor McGonagall said and Hermione turned to listen. There was an important announcement before breakfast? Something had to be going wrong. Hermione looked at her expectantly and Professor McGonagall seemed to be avoiding her gaze, but she didn't know why.  
  
"There is going to be a slight change in the dormitory arrangements. I need to move a few students to please their parents." Hermione disregarded this as a threat now, because she was sure that her parents wouldn't be preoccupied with anything that had to do with her dormitory arrangements.  
  
"I am moving Miss Witherspawn from the Eagle dormitory to the Rabbit dormitory. That means that one of the Rabbit dormitory members will have to take her place in the Eagle dormitory." Hermione froze. SHE was currently in the Rabbit dormitory. Not believing it, she glanced back at it and, sure enough, there was the rabbit on the door that she hadn't though a thing of before. That meant that she was sure to be in the worst position possible.  
  
"All of the members of the dormitory should agree on who moves." Professor McGonagall said and Hermione's heart sunk. She was sure that it wouldn't matter what she said, because the Ravenclaws in her room would all agree that she could be the one to move. She never really understood them - what had she done to make them dislike her?  
  
"Please talk among yourselves to decide who will move." Professor McGonagall continued, and Hermione noticed that she still was avoiding eye contact with Hermione, and she still wasn't quite sure why.  
  
She walked resignedly over to "talk" it over with her roommates. She was sure they were going to have "thought hard" and they were "really sorry" but she "fit in the least with the mold" so they had to "let her go".  
  
Hermione sighed and turned to face the other three. All of them looked at each other, obviously the cue for a well-rehearsed routine.  
  
"Herninny," the boy said, and it was all Hermione could do to contain herself from correcting him in loud tones.  
  
"We've thought hard about it," he began, and then, as though a practiced play, one of the girls spoke up.  
  
"We're really, REALLY sorry Herninny," she said and again, Hermione felt her temper rise. "But we think it should be you that goes." The third girl then jumped into the conversation.  
  
"We don't think you really fit in the mold too well - out of all of us, you fit the least." They all looked at her with mock sadness written obviously across their faces.  
  
The boy spoke again, "We're afraid we're going to have to let you go, Herninny." Hermione shoved her hands into her pockets to hide the fists that were now being clenched tightly. She was so angry that she was sure she would have cursed or hexed them if she wasn't trying to keep herself under strict control.  
  
She felt her teeth clenching and her eyes narrowing, yet she forced her voice to sound light and happy, which was the complete opposite as she felt.  
  
"Oh, alright." She said.  
  
I wouldn't want to spend another day with you freaks, you're always pointing and laughing and whispering and every time I hear it I wanna scream while I hex you until you die, Hermione thought, but was smart enough not to say it out loud.  
  
Sighing again, Hermione sulked all of the way up to the dormitory where she flung the door open and resisted the urge to set their things on fire.  
  
She kicked her trunk open and began throwing things in it again, and couldn't help the odd feeling of de ja vou - she seemed to remember doing this same action not too long ago. Rolling her eyes, she tried to think what dormitory she would be in. She was pretty sure that the Miss Witherspawn was a Hufflepuff, which meant -  
  
Hermione froze in the middle of hurling her book into the disastrous trunk. Hadn't the Hufflepuff been in the same dormitory as the three Slytherins? That would mean that she was going to be in the same dormitory as MALFOY, PARKINSON, and SOME OTHER SLYTHERIN. Hermione suddenly felt sick to her stomach.  
  
Avoiding the urge to hurl, she continued throwing things into her trunk, pretending that each one was hitting the Ravenclaws in the head and knocking them unconscious. She was so angry that she couldn't think straight and almost tried to open the mirror before she stormed down the stairs with her trunk floating slowly behind her.  
  
Professor McGonagall looked at her with a mixture of sadness and pity and Hermione glared at her before she let her trunk fall to the floor with a loud thud.  
  
Catching the look on Malfoy's face, she decided that she wasn't going to let him enjoy the face that this was going to make her miserable, so she put up the emotional barrier between herself and the world, blocking her emotions out. She was going to make Malfoy as miserable as she felt.  
  
She walked over to the dorm, kicked the door and stormed in. Her heart fell, if possible, even lower that it was before she walked into the room. The entire room was full to the exploding point of emerald green and silver hangings, decorations and pillows.  
  
Smiling slightly, she flicked her wand and changed the room to red and gold, the black frames turned gold, the green bedposts red. She changed the grotesque, ugly and eerie shapes of the various items in the room to more enjoyable and upbringing shapes and colors. When she was finished, she smiled happily and lay down on her bed as she directed the items to their places with her wand as she hummed to herself.  
  
The door swung open and banged the wall as someone strode in, but Hermione completely ignored them and continued putting her things away and occasionally changing more things from hideous green to warm red and silver to gold. She felt someone yelling at her, but she took no notice.  
  
"Shut up." She said, without a glance toward who was speaking to her. The person stormed over and pulled on her hair, to which she responded with a quick succession of flicks from her wand. The person fell to their knees, whimpering in pain.  
  
At last, Hermione turned to see who she had hexed, and saw, with much satisfaction, that she had hexed Pansy Parkinson, but she was less satisfied to see that with the boils, she was now more attractive than she had been before.  
  
"I can't believe you," Pansy shrieked. "You - you - you bit-" Pansy surely would have gone on to call Hermione a great number of things before she was stopped, but Draco Malfoy walked into the room, which stopped her from talking or doing much else, and he seemed to be recovering from a loss of breath when he saw the room. Apparently he hadn't expected her to have converted the room so quickly.  
  
"What the - ?" he said, and she noted that he seemed utterly bewildered and shocked, which Hermione found extremely amusing. Smiling broadly, she flicked her wand again and changed his robes to a wonderful shade of red.  
  
Unfortunately, this move seemed to bring him back to his senses and he lunged for her as he whipped out his wand. He muttered something and flicked his wand and she noticed that her hair was now emerald green. In order to pay him back, she turned his silvery-blonde hair red.  
  
"I will not be a Weasley." He spat at her and he flicked his wand in retaliation. It took her a few seconds to see what he had done, but she now caught sight of her robes, which were silver with emerald green snakes throughout the pattern.  
  
Narrowing her eyes, she flicked her wand and muttered like mad, and when she next looked up, Malfoy's eyes were hot pink, and she was sure that he didn't know what she had done to him, because he was looking around himself, trying to see what was wrong now.  
  
Throughout this whole display of magic, they had forgotten Pansy Parkinson had been there, and they didn't notice when she left the room. Both of them were still trying to hex each other.  
  
"You're right," Hermione said a few minutes after the initial spells. "You can't be a Weasley, they're nice." She said and Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her and muttered another spell. Whatever the spell was, she didn't know, but it apparently didn't do what it was supposed to do, because she LIKED what it did.  
  
Her hair, which was not totally under control, was now straight and hanging down her back. She took some of it and twirled it around her finger. It would have been perfect had it not been emerald green.  
  
She turned back to Malfoy and waved her wand in a figure eight and prodded the air with it. A jet of yellow light made its way over to him, and when it connected with him, his pants turned to a skirt.  
  
Seething with anger, he waved his wand and Hermione noticed that he had made her feet grow to the size of flippers. She was extremely angry now, because he had ruined her slippers, and she flicked her wand at him again.  
  
His hair was now curly and fluffy, so that it was like a Shirley Temple hair do, and she quite liked it - because it wasn't on her.  
  
And then, remembering how he had teased her in earlier years, she directed this spell at his teeth. The two front teeth on the top were growing at an alarming rate. She stopped them from growing when they reached his chin.  
  
Smiling with satisfaction, she whipped around and looked at herself in the mirror. Considering what he could have done, she didn't suppose she looked too bad. It could have been much worse, and she liked the fact that she had straight hair, and the green wasn't too bad, other than the fact that it was green.  
  
She turned and was about to hex Malfoy again when she heard the door open, and she saw the last person she wanted to see, standing at the doorway. Professor McGonagall had come, obviously that was why Pansy had left, and with one wave of her wand, Professor McGonagall cast a spell that returned the room to totally boringness, and Hermione wondered why she didn't change her back to her normal state. Quite the reverse happened.  
  
Professor McGonagall muttered something that Hermione was sure wasn't a counter spell, and, with a horrible pang, realized that she knew what that spell was. Professor McGonagall had just made the alterations that they had made on each other permanent.  
  
"Professor," Hermione tried to protest, but Professor McGonagall held up a hand to stop all of the explanations that were bound to be coming out of their mouths. Professor McGonagall looked quite angry, and Hermione stopped talking at once, and she was sure that Malfoy wouldn't be doing a lot of talking in the near future - he couldn't talk through his teeth.  
  
"I would have expected better of you two, especially since you are prefects. What kind of an example are you trying to set for our younger students?" Hermione didn't answer, and, happily realized that Malfoy couldn't.  
  
"These alterations are permanent until you two can get along." With that, Professor McGonagall swept out of the room, and left Hermione, Malfoy, and Pansy in the room.  
  
Hermione and Malfoy rounded on Pansy. If it hadn't been for her, neither of them would be stuck looking how they did.  
  
"I'm going to hex you into the next universe, Parkinson." Hermione said, her wand pointing near Pansy's eyes, and Pansy stared at the wand nervously, as though expecting pain at any time.  
  
Malfoy grabbed her arm and threw her toward the other end of the room. Hermione watched as he said something to her, and each time, Pansy's eyes seemed to get wider with fear, until she looked like someone had glued her eyes open.  
  
Hermione didn't know what Malfoy was saying, but if it instilled this much fear in Pansy, it was worth it.  
  
At this point, another realization dawned on Hermione.  
  
They were going to have to go to classes looking like this. She was sure that this was going to be a permanent look of her, because she was never, in a million years, going to be nice to MALFOY, no matter what. It didn't matter that Professor McGonagall wanted her to. For the first time, Hermione disregarded what a teacher said altogether. She was never going to get along with Draco Malfoy.  
  
Sighing, she looked in the mirror, trying to decide what she could do about her appearance. 


	6. A Day of Classes

freakfairy - yeap, I agree. Draco deserved it. =) I reviewed your story too.  
  
Imperfectionist - Now you don't have to wait anymore, do you? ^_^  
  
Angel125 - thanks, I like it too. . . I guess that was a redundant thought, wasn't it?  
  
The SimonCowel of Fanfiction - Thanks! I liked writing it too. . . I also wanted to ask you, do you watch American Idol? That's where you got "Simon Cowell", right?  
  
Anyway, thanks to the reviewers. They make me feel GOOD INSIDE! (tee hee, I was corny!)  
  
Chapter 5  
  
It soon became evident that some of the alterations made would not be ones that she could hide. Her hair, for instance, was going to be green until the day she died. Other things, like her robes, would be easy to fix. She looked down at her feet in dismay. She decided the only thing to do, because Professor McGonagall wouldn't change them back, was to wear very long robes and walk carefully.  
  
On a happier note, she realized that she had done more things to Malfoy that he couldn't change than he had done to her. His hair, eyes, and his teeth couldn't be changed until they were nice to each other, and this seemed to soften the blow of having huge feet and green hair.  
  
Sighing, she was about to leave the dormitory when the door burst open, and she had to jump back to avoid being hit. Malfoy stormed back in and he looked angrier than ever.  
  
"What did you do with the rest of my pants?" he demanded, and it was all that she could do to keep from laughing. She hadn't done anything to his pants, but if he didn't have any, then he would be forced to wear a skirt all day.  
  
"Nothing." Hermione told him truthfully, but he narrowed his eyes in disbelief. Obviously he didn't believe anything that she said, and to be truthful, she couldn't blame him. It DID look oddly suspicious.  
  
"I swear!" Hermione said, now trying to keep him from hexing her more than he already had. She almost lost her cool when she glanced back at him and saw him glaring at her through red, curly hair.  
  
"I know you did something with them." He hissed at her, and she shook her head, and caught sight of her green hair again. It was getting rather annoying to see herself in green hair and she didn't want to look like this for her classes, but at this rate, she was going to look like this for life.  
  
"Look, I don't care what you THINK, I wouldn't touch your pants with a ten foot - no, twenty foot - pole. Alright?" Hermione slung her book bag over her shoulder and walked down the stairs, where she was pointed at while the three stupid Ravenclaws whispered to her, but this time they had a reason.  
  
Malfoy looked at her, obviously trying to determine whether she was lying or not. Hermione just stared back at him, knowing that she didn't do anything with his pants, but wishing fully that someone else had hidden them well. He deserved to have to wear a pleated skirt all day.  
  
Fuming, Malfoy spun around and marched out. When the door closed, Hermione could contain her laughter no longer. Falling onto her bed, she was shaking with laughter so hard that she wasn't issuing a noise.  
  
She couldn't get the image of Draco Malfoy wearing a skirt. Never would she have believed someone if they had told her that he would be wearing a skirt, but now that she had seen it, she knew she would never forget it.  
  
She secured her book bag around her shoulder and walked out of the Advanced Transfiguration common room toward the Great Hall for breakfast. She sat down alone near the end of the table, and glanced over where she saw Harry and Ron.  
  
Memories that she had been trying to ignore flooded back to her. Their friendship had been slowly falling apart. Hermione had been withdrawn when she found out that her father had cancer, and she had refused to talk to anyone. She knew that was her first mistake. Things had been getting steadily worse - the boys were playing Quiddich, the boys were in detention, the boys were hanging out, there was now no time for Hermione. She knew it was all her fault too. She was the one that had started it. She turned down any time that she could have had with the two of them, and now they had gotten used to it.  
  
She had then gone further down hill. She was losing friendships with many people, and every aspect of her life had suffered. Harry and Ron had been slowly moving on, and buy the time she realized it, it was far too late to fix. The damage had been done, and they had moved on, leaving her in the dust that she had created. They still talked off and on, but they were no longer included in the tight circle of three. The three musketeers turned to the outsider and the two best friends. But one night, things had gotten much worse than she had expected.  
  
Harry had announced that he was going to be Cho's girlfriend, and she had tried to tell him that this was a total waste of time and that she was already dating Roger Davies, but he wouldn't listen, and seemed to think that this was a bad attempt to keep him from dating. He was angry and they had a huge row - His cruel words still rung in her ears. "I don't care if you're jealous, because I really like Cho." Of course, this relationship hadn't lasted long, but Harry now wouldn't talk to her because he didn't want to tell her that she was right.  
  
This left Ron in the middle, and it became apparent that Ron didn't like being stuck in the middle. Ron and her got into numerous fights over things that were stupid, but they couldn't agree with anything, and he reminded her, time and time again, that he never fought like this with Harry, so she had screamed at him and told him that he should go be with HARRY then if he didn't like arguing with her, and to her immense surprise, he had walked away, sat down with Harry, and began talking, as though nothing had happened. She couldn't blame him though - she and Harry both knew that he hated being in the middle.  
  
Hermione ignored the food piled around her and stared at her plate, feeling tears stinging her eyes. She didn't want to cry - not now, and not ever. She felt that wall that she loved beginning to come up around her, shielding her from ever feeling emotion again. This must be how everyone else did it. Hiding behind a wall of cruelness, she would never have to smile or show emotion again. She could finally have the alone time that she needed to sort out her life.  
  
Without eating, she stood up and began walking toward her first class. She was halfway to Potions before she realized that she had to go to Charms first. She continued thinking of what she could fix in her life, and what was unavoidable.  
  
She felt a surge of anger toward her father. If only he would let someone use magic on him, the cancer would be gone and he would live much longer, but he wouldn't allow it. He said that he never grew up with magic, and that he should let his life last how it was meant to last. Hermione balled her fists up and felt her nails digging into her palms, and she clenched them harder.  
  
Somehow, this was her fault - she knew it. Something had happened because of her. Maybe it was the fact that she wasn't there enough. She was always away at Hogwarts, and perhaps this had made him weaker, meaning that he was more prone to illness, or maybe it was just the fact that she was alive. Perhaps having her as a child made him sick. She knew that she hadn't exactly been a dream child. Then with the added stress of her sibling dying, she had made it worse, and he had finally cracked under pressure.  
  
Even though she knew that these ideas were farfetched and stupid, she still felt as though it was he fault that he father was dying while she was here at school. What for? Did she need to know magic? No, absolutely not. There was no reason that she needed to learn magic, she could live her life perfectly well as a muggle.  
  
Even as she thought it, she knew that she would never be able to pretend that she was a muggle now that she knew what she really was, now that she knew what really was out in the world. She had had a taste of magic and it was like a taste of ice cream or soda pop, once you have that first taste, you want more. She never wanted to have to leave any of it behind.  
  
Even as she thought this, she knew she was going to want to leave it behind when she left school, because the thought of magic brought her pain. Everything related to magic brought her pain, and she didn't want to have the pain. She wanted to be numb to everything, and just exist.  
  
Before she realized it, she was at the large and heave oak door of the Charms classroom. She slowly and reluctantly pushed it open and ambled over to sit down at her assigned desk, which was, unfortunately, next to Ron and close to Harry. Groaning silently to herself, she awaited their arrival, because she was completely sure they were going to be whispering about her hair and feet, and she didn't know if she could take ant more whispering now.  
  
She didn't have to wait for Harry and Ron to come to enjoy this treatment because anyone that came in noticed it, and who could blame them? It isn't every day that you see a Gryffindor with emerald green hair. Of course, it got steadily worse as more people came into the classroom, because that meant there were more people to be whispering, and it turned to a dull roar.  
  
Nothing, however, could compare to the looks on Harry and Ron's faces when they walked into the room. She knew this was probably one of the last things they were expecting, but they didn't have to look dumbfounded like trolls. It wasn't as though she DIDN'T know that her hair was green.  
  
"What did you -" Ron began, but Harry elbowed him and he stopped. Hermione did know whether Harry didn't want Ron to talk to her at all, or if he was trying to stop Ron from being rude and embarrassing her more than she was right now.  
  
She ignored everyone, which was an amazing feat, and managed to ignore the looks that Professor Flitwick kept giving her whenever she answered a question. Charms class today was the worse Charms class she had ever taken, and she hoped that it wouldn't get worse from here.  
  
When class was over, she was the first person out of the door and she hurried to the bathroom to try to but a glamour on herself to make her hair and feet appear to be different, but nothing worked. Apparently, Professor McGonagall had thought of this too, because the spells bounced right off.  
  
"Auuugh." Hermione groaned and she was left to stomp out of the bathroom, angrier than she had been five minutes before. Didn't Professor McGonagall realize how horrible she was making this for her? She was going around, looking like a FREAK and everyone was pointing and laughing at her. It wasn't like she didn't know she didn't look normal today, so she saw no reason for them to have to point it out to her.  
  
Grumbling, Hermione walked toward the Potions class. This was the class that she was dreading the most. She was sure that Professor Snape would make some comment about her hair and then she would endure rude comments from Slytherins to top off the worst morning in the world, but her mood lifted when she realized that Malfoy was still cursed too. Perhaps they would make fun of him too. That would make it more bearable.  
  
Almost smiling, Hermione walked into the Potions class, and everyone was staring at her, which meant Malfoy wasn't here yet.  
  
Hermione smiled and waved to them while everyone continued staring at her, apparently at a major loss for words, but Crabbe and Goyle looked like they were in their habitat. They always looked stupid and dumbfounded.  
  
Hermione was on the verge of exploding in a Slytherin's face when Malfoy walked in, and their attention turned to him. Apparently it was worse to see a Slytherin in red than a Gryffindor in green.  
  
Hermione almost felt sorry for Malfoy, because people seemed to be on the verge of pelting him with sparks and hitting him with tight fists. He looked like he was in a horrible position, and she almost felt like telling them that it wasn't his fault that he was red, but then she stopped. She was enjoying seeing him suffer the same treatment that he had given her for years and she had no doubt that he fully deserved every last insult and spark he was getting, so she satisfied herself by watching him being taunted and insulted by people that used to respect him with fear.  
  
Professor Snape swept into the dungeon, took one swift glance at Hermione and Malfoy, and turned to begin addressing the class. While the class awaited his words, nothing came from his mouth. He was gaping at Hermione and Malfoy, as though, for once in his life, at a loss for words.  
  
Hermione smiled angelically at him, knowing the thoughts that were going through his head, because she herself had thought them when she saw what she and Malfoy currently, and for evermore would, look like.  
  
It seemed to be worse to look at Malfoy, because she had managed to hide her humongous feet from view, so all that could be seen was her hair, and that was nothing compared to what Malfoy was suffering, not that she cared.  
  
Malfoy had his teeth, hair and eyes to be laughed at for, and Hermione was sure that she could get used to green hair. After all, it didn't matter if it was green or not because it was straight, and she didn't have to worry about how she brushed it, because with her wavy curls she would have to brush it carefully, or suffer looking like dynamite had exploded on her head, and she didn't need that.  
  
For the first time in Potions class, Snape made fun of Malfoy, and didn't give him full credit. But even more surprising that that was that Snape didn't have his usual stupid smirk on his face, and Professor Snape appeared to be almost smiling, as though even he couldn't keep his amusement inside.  
  
But most surprising was that Malfoy seemed to be resigned to being laughed at, and he didn't say anything or make any move to stop the stem of insults and nasty comments being pelted at him, and Hermione felt quite satisfied that he was now on the receiving end of the insults, because, in her mind, he totally and completely deserved every nasty thing said to him.  
  
"Mr. Malfoyetta," Snape said in his usual cool tones, but even so, his words of which caused an immediate uproar from both the group Slytherins and the majority of the Gryffindors. It seemed that this comment was or was close to something that everyone had wanted to say, and there was no denying it. With his hair curly, Malfoy looked, quite awkwardly, like a girl.  
  
"Please tell me the properties of. . . the curled moon spike. . ." Again, the rest of Professor Snape's words were drowned out by laughter that exploded inside of the dungeon. Even Harry and Ron were in such a good mood that they spoke to Hermione, and she felt a rush of sadness come back to her.  
  
She really missed Ron and Harry.  
  
Pushing this to the back of her mind, Hermione turned to her potion, which she had to concentrate on more than usual because of occasional comments directed toward Malfoy and she almost added the wrong ingredient when Pansy asked Malfoy whether he wanted her to do his nails that night in pink or purple.  
  
Shaking her head and thinking that she had gotten the better end of the deal, Hermione continued her potion, all the time thinking that there were only five more lessons until she could hide in her bed and forget everything for the glorious hours while she slept.  
  
~+~  
  
Unfortunately for Hermione, sleep would not be the glorious time of rest that she had wanted, because Malfoy cornered her in the room that night while everyone else was at dinner. He looked angrier than she had even seen him, and she realized that she had only seen him angry once, other than that he never showed his emotion.  
  
Hermione's thoughts evaporated from her mind, because every thing was focused on the towering figure in front of her and she was sure that she could see steam issuing from his ears and mouth. He was glaring at her with such vehement that she was surprised that she wasn't dead.  
  
"Do you have ANY idea how much hell you've made today for me?" He asked her, and she had to strain to listen, because he was whispering in a deadly whisper as though the quieter he spoke, the angrier he was.  
  
"Yeah, I have a pretty good idea." Hermione said coolly as she continued folding random items of clothing and blankets that had seemed to have exploded that morning in her anger.  
  
"You have NO idea. I used to be respected." Malfoy told her, and his voice dropped another decibel so that it was almost inaudible.  
  
"No, people used to be scared of you, now they laugh at you, because you look like a clown." Hermione said, and she still didn't even bother to look at him while she was folding her clothes.  
  
"Today has been living hell for ME." He said, and he put great emphasis on "me", which made Hermione throw down the shirt she had been folding, stand up, and glare directly at him.  
  
"Today hasn't exactly been a walk in the park for me," she said then she added, "Malfoy." She spat his name as an after thought, shoved some of his clothes that had also exploded into her space into his arms and sat back down to continue cleaning her space as best as she could.  
  
She didn't even want to know how his clothes had gotten to the other end of the room, because she was sure it had something to do with throwing things at Pansy, which she highly supported.  
  
"I should have cursed you worse. Believe me, I would have if I knew you were going to be STUCK with the curses." Malfoy told her, and she almost didn't hear him.  
  
"Don't think I gave you my worst." Hermione said simply, and she didn't bother to look at his reaction. She already knew that he would have his smirk plastered across his face and any second now he was going to say something about her being a mudblood and not deserving to be here.  
  
To her surprise, he said nothing, but simply turned back to his bed and threw the shirts on his bed.  
  
Next time I'll hex him, Hermione thought as he set fire to the shirts she had folded for him. I'll hex him until he dies. She thought as she glared angrily at him, wondering how he could stand to be so rude all the time.  
  
~+~  
  
A/N: Stay tuned (that was corny) for the next chapter.  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	7. The First AT Class

Eleanor Branstone - Thank you very much, and I'm sure you could write a poem if you really wanted to, I've been writing poetry for a while.  
  
lily - Yes, Malfoy in a skirt came to me in a flash of brilliance I won't see for another thirty-two and a half years, =)  
  
freakyfairy - Maybe, maybe not.. You'll have to see... I'm deciding as of now, that's why I didn't give you a definite answer.  
  
starliz - I'm tryin', I'm REALLY tryin'!  
  
blueamber - Thanks so much! I don't like aol, I had problems with it, so I can relate. Don't worry about leaving a longer review. . . just review more!!! =D  
  
funkless - Thanx a million. I am writing as fast as I can and still trying to make sure that I am not making major typos. Bear with me. Malfoyetta shall not disappoint you. . . I hope.  
  
Psyko Pyro - I like it too!!! I updated too!! I am trying to keep up with demand. I never imagined that I would be demanded to write!!!  
  
willowfairy - Aww. . . thanks. You all make me feel so good.  
  
Anyway, thanks for reviewing, and now I am answering reviews because I don't have anything uploaded ahead of time. Thanks for reading, and here's chapter 6.  
  
~+~  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Things were becoming easier for Hermione to deal with. The spell Professor McGonagall had put on her and Malfoy seemed to be holding fast, but Hermione was becoming used to looking how she did, although it was always a shock whenever she looked down at her feet. She hadn't expected to see her feet as long as her arms ever in her lifetime.  
  
The hardest part of adjusting to how she looked was learning how to walk without tripping over her own feet since they were so big, and there were either two ways she could walk; she could shuffle and not life her feet, or she would be forced to lift her feet more than two feet off the ground so that she wouldn't trip over them. Normally, she stuck with the shuffle.  
  
It seemed to be harder for Malfoy to cope with the attention, because he went from respect through fear to class clown. Not class clown in a good way - class clown as in he WAS a clown. Hermione felt that he now fully deserved this humiliation, because of every time that he was horrible to her in the past four years of school. She felt that he was getting everything that he deserved for every nasty comment that was uttered from his lips.  
  
Hermione should have known that Fred and George would want their revenge on her as well, but it was her unfortunate luck to look like a green haired duck when they decided to get their revenge.  
  
"Hey, Hermione!" Fred said, and Hermione ignored them, trying to walk faster in an attempt to get into the Advanced Transfiguration dormitory before they caught up with her. She wanted to avoid any embarrassment that she could, but she knew that it was inevitable. How could she possible ignore them when nobody else would?  
  
"Hermione, you are aware that a plant grew out of your head last night?" George asked, and Hermione rolled her eyes despite the fact that she was trying not to show them anything that would give them satisfaction.  
  
"We've been over this," she muttered to herself. "Dozens of times." Then she turned toward the twins that were walking behind her, and she stopped so abruptly that they almost walked into her.  
  
"ONCE AGAIN. I am FULLY aware that I have GREEN hair, Capeche?" Both of the twins sniggered as it was becoming increasingly obvious that they were making her mad, and that was obviously what they wanted.  
  
"Then you're also aware that you left your flippers on after you went swimming in the lake?" Hermione took a deep breath and refrained from rolling her eyes this time. The twins smirked and together, with identical smirks plastered on their faces, they looked quite mischievous, but then again, they always do.  
  
"And what is Perfect Prefect Hermione going to do to us now?" Fred asked while he made pouting gestures with his lips and George mocked Hermione.  
  
"Now you two are in for it," he mocked in a high-pitched voice that sounded nothing like Hermione, but he didn't seem to care. "I am miss high and mighty and I think that I should take out my anger on YOU."  
  
Both of them collapsed into a fit of laughter and Hermione took this to her advantage as she ran away from them. She couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to go back to being the know-it-all. She didn't want to be made fun of anymore. She didn't want anything. She wanted to be numb. Feelingless.  
  
Smiling, Hermione slowly raised her wall around herself, blocking her thoughts and mind from anything. Pain, sadness, and emotion in general. She hadn't thought she would, but she slowly realized that she really missed hanging around with Harry and Ron. She missed how they used to sit around the fire in their armchairs and laugh over things that had happened, talked and solved mysteries. Most of all, she missed feeling safe when she was around them, because she had always felt like she was safe from harm when she was around them, but she felt even more vulnerable now that she had no friends whatsoever.  
  
Hermione stopped in front of the portrait that guarded the opening to the Advanced Transfiguration room and muttered the password. The portrait, however, didn't want to open for her.  
  
"Hello. Do you think that gorgeous read-head would date me?" the portrait asked in the extremely, high-pitched, singsong voice that seemed to always get on Hermione's nerves.  
  
"There isn't a red head in -" Hermione stopped. She had just realized that the portrait was still gushing over Malfoy. No matter what he looked like, the portrait was bound to still like him.  
  
"No." Hermione said flatly. The portrait pouted and stuck out her tongue. Then she pointed behind her, gesturing into the common room inside.  
  
"Will you ask him for me?" the portrait asked, making its eyes big like doe eyes, and Hermione rolled her eyes. She was in no mood to be sucked into some "cutsie" scam by anyone, let alone a portrait.  
  
"I'm not even INSIDE. And. . . No." the portrait pouted, if possible, more pronounced, and then swung open to let Hermione in. Hermione sulked into the room and collapsed on the couch.  
  
As she lay on the couch, not moving, she stared at her feet and felt angry at her feet for no apparent reason.  
  
How dare they be so big?  
  
Hermione knew she was thinking irrationally, but she just wanted to vent her anger and it didn't matter how she did. If she didn't channel it onto something or someone soon she was bound to explode from the inside.  
  
Hermione didn't want to talk to anyone about anything though. Nobody would understand. Nobody would be able to relate to not wanting to show emotion, weakness. Nobody could ever understand how she wanted to have the perfect family and the perfect life. Absolutely nobody would understand her and her thoughts and feelings.  
  
Hermione took a deep breath and held it. She was going to do this every time she felt like she had to explode and it would make her feel calmer, and she was sure that she wouldn't explode. She had done this quite frequently, and she never thought of the possible side effects - what would happen when she could no longer hold everything inside?  
  
Hermione couldn't get rid of her anger, so she ripped the pillow from its corner and chucked it across the room. To her great anger, she watched it zoom back to its position, as though it was just there to aggravate her. She scowled at it but didn't throw it again, which was a good thing because Professor McGonagall came walking into the room, carrying books and with more materials floating behind her. Hermione sighed. Today must be the first lesson in Advanced Transfiguration, how could she had forgotten?  
  
"Everyone, please come here and collect your book, journal, and certification card." Hermione got up, grumbling, and grabbed the materials that she was instructed. As she sat down she saw a few more people ambling down the stairs, and she felt much better about herself because it was becoming evident that she wasn't the only one who had forgotten there was a Transfiguration lesson tonight.  
  
"Now, I want you to fill out the certification card and hand it to me." Hermione glanced down at the card. It was a certification card for becoming an Animagus and all of her anger and frustration leaked out of her to allow her curiosity to course through her.  
  
What would they have to do to be Animagus?  
  
She glanced at the card and began to fill out the questions it asked. Some of them were the standard questions, and some made no sense at all, so she tried her best to fill them out.  
  
Full Name: _______________  
  
Age: ____  
  
M / F  
  
DOB: __/__/__  
  
School/residence: ___________________________  
  
Current Headmaster: Professor (Teacher/Mr. in non-standard schools) __________________________  
  
Please make answers in standard essay form (min. 8 sentences)  
  
1. Why are you taking part in Advanced Transfiguration (Metamorphosis in non-standard schools)  
  
---------  
  
2. Are you planning to continue with Advanced studies?  
  
---------  
  
3. Why you would use the ability to change forms to help the wizarding world.  
  
State the following facts  
  
Animal you wish to be able to change forms to:  
  
Country of origin:  
  
Species:  
  
Signature: _________ ___________  
  
---------------------------  
  
Hermione stared at the parchment for a minute and then she began scribbling down the answers. Writing her name, DOB and other personal information, Hermione though of her answers to the other questions. Why was she taking part in Advanced Transfiguration? Should she say because the headmaster told her she should? Wouldn't that sound lame?  
  
Sighing, she moved on to the second question. She would come back to the first one. Was she planning to continue with Advanced Studies? How should she know? She didn't even know if she liked what she was going to be doing today. Shrugging she began to write that she would continue. After all, she was planning to do great things after Hogwarts.  
  
She looked at the third question. How could changing her form possible help the wizarding world? What if she was a beetle, she though as she remembered Rita Skeeter. What would that possibly do for the wizarding world?  
  
A smile played across her lips as she thought about what she would have liked to use Rita Skeeter for as a help to the wizarding world. She shook herself from thoughts of hexing and cursing her and she returned to her certification paper. She scribbled a nonsense answer for the first question and looked at the facts that she had to state for the record.  
  
What animal did she want to transform into?  
  
She had never thought of this, and she was now unsure what she would choose. What if she chose wrong? What if she chose an animal that was completely wrong for her? What would she do? Would she be able to switch?  
  
Luckily for her, Professor McGonagall interrupted her thoughts and answered her questions, much to her relief.  
  
"Please don't fill out which animal you want to be. We'll be doing that shortly." Professor McGonagall said, and there was some scratching out of words on the lower portion of the page by most of the people that were there. Was she the only person that didn't know what she wanted to be?  
  
Hermione went back to filling out the rest of the paper.  
  
~+~  
  
"Alright students," Professor McGonagall said and Hermione jumped. "I am going to show you how to choose what animal you will be." Hermione sat up straight and looked at Professor McGonagall. This was the part that she had been waiting for, but she thought that Professor McGonagall would have waited longer to show them this.  
  
"We shall practice the wand movement first." Professor McGonagall said, and Hermione saw a few people sag in their chairs, Pansy Parkinson included.  
  
"You will dip you wand, like so, and then prod the air with it, like this." Professor McGonagall showed them the movement, and a few people tried, without much luck, to copy the movement. After they were given a few moments to practice this Professor McGonagall continued.  
  
"The incantation is 'Anamagaii conjunctus mancy'." Everyone stared at her, as though this were a spell to send him or her straight to the crazy house. Professor McGonagall stared back at them, as though asking them why they weren't using the incantation. Hermione was the first to recover.  
  
"Anamagaii conjunctus mancy." She muttered and was quite disappointed when nothing happened. She tried again, and again, nothing worked. Slowly the rest of the people began trying to do the spell, and she looked around, greatly pleased that nobody else as getting the spell right either.  
  
Hermione's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Professor McGonagall's voice praising a student for doing the spell right, and Hermione knew it wasn't her.  
  
"Well done, Mr. Malfoy. Ten points to Slytherin." Professor McGonagall turned and went to assist the Hufflepuff that seemed to have lodged their wand up their nose.  
  
Malfoy looked at Hermione and smirked and her, and then stuck his tongue out at her in quite a childish fashion. Hermione flushed at the thought of Malfoy doing the spell correctly before she had, and she worked with twice the vigor. She HAD to get it right this time.  
  
"Anamagaii conjunctus mancy." She muttered, and still, nothing happened. Hermione growled in frustration. Professor McGonagall seemed to notice that nobody else was getting the spell right, and she seemed taken aback. The smartest kids in the school weren't doing this right.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, please go between the students and help them with the spell." Professor McGonagall said, and Malfoy's smirk widened. Pansy dragged him over to help her, and he scowled as he instructed her. She kept doing it wrong, and he gave up in frustration when she nearly poked his eye out.  
  
Hermione was determined to make the spell work before he could come and smirk his face off while he insulted her. She NEEDED to make this spell work. She HAD to make this spell work. It was as though her life depended on it.  
  
Grimacing in frustration, Hermione continued to prod the air in anger. She was so angry that she was sure she was hurting the air by hitting it so constantly. She was determined to make it work, but so far she had no luck.  
  
Sighing, she threw her wand down on the floor and crossed her arms. She was frustrated and that was bound to make the spell go wrong and hurt someone in the process. She was about to reach for her wand when she realized that someone had already picked it up.  
  
Malfoy handed Hermione her wand and she took it from him, determined not to look angry in the least. He stared expectantly at her and it took her a few seconds to realize that he was waiting for her to do the spell so that he could correct her. She scowled but obliged.  
  
"Anamagaii conjunctus mancy." She muttered as she moved her wand, but it didn't work and Hermione couldn't help it, she pouted. Malfoy stared at her for a minute, then sat down beside her.  
  
"Do it again," he said, and Hermione was surprised at how he said it. He wasn't sneering or being rude, he was just waiting for her to try again. She did.  
  
"Anamagaii conjunctus mancy." She said again and nothing happened. She looked at Malfoy, waiting for him to make fun of her and tell her that she was obviously too stupid to be doing this charm, but that's not what he did.  
  
Instead of what she expected, Malfoy put his arm around hers and moved her wrist in a motion that was different than what she had been doing.  
  
"You have to dip your wand and prod in the center, not flick." He said, and Hermione was shocked, but hid it. Why wasn't he making fun of her? Why hadn't he called her a Mudblood yet? And why did she like the fact that he was touching her? Shouldn't she be angry?  
  
Hermione could feel a blush creeping up her cheeks. How could he do it when she couldn't? Did this mean that she was losing her marbles? Or just her dignity? She shook her head and tried the spell again.  
  
"Anamagaii conjunctus mancy." She said, and it was obvious, by the edge in her voice, that she was getting frustrated with the spell. Suddenly, and she hadn't been expecting it, sparks showered out of her wand and formed shapes in front of her. She smiled brightly.  
  
Then she turned to face the boy that was next to her.  
  
"Um, thanks Malfoy." She said, and was shocked to see that his sneer had returned to his face. It wasn't as scary now, as his pink eyes distracted her, but she hadn't expected him to be sneering at her.  
  
Something about him looked different though. She thought for a moment, not quite figuring what was different, and then she realized that his hair was no longer curly. It was hanging down in his face, still red as ever, but the curl was gone.  
  
"Don't ever touch me again, Mudblood." He said, and Hermione's smile disappeared as instantly as it had come. She watched him walk away to go 'help' someone else that wasn't doing so well while she sat, watching him.  
  
Why had his hair changed? Why wasn't it curly anymore? She grabbed a chunk of her own hair and looked at it, but there was no change in it or her feet. Why had the spell released its hold on some of the curses on him, but none of the ones on her?  
  
And then the realization hit Hermione.  
  
They had to tolerate each other, and be nice. He had been genuinely nice to her - that was the only way to explain why his hair had started going back to its original state. Hermione sighed.  
  
Why had he been nice to her? 


	8. Renewed Friendship

freakyfairy - I like your reviews, especially because I look forward to getting reviews on the chapters. I can depend on you.  
  
blueamber - think about it, this is Malfoy. . . hehehe, baited breath? Just don't hold it, because I think you'd turn to BLUEamber for real.  
  
Jelli Bean - Ohh, thank you so so so so much!  
  
willowfairy - dundun dundun dundun. . . Maybe.. You'll learn something else in this chapter. . .  
  
Chapter 7  
  
The thought of Malfoy actually being nice to her haunted Hermione's thoughts all night. Why had he been nice to her when he had been working all those years to build up the insurmountable hate between the two of them? Was he doing this just so that he could get his normal appearance back?  
  
Although she was inclined to believe that was the reason, the nasty voice that frequently haunted her mind told her that there was no way pretending to be nice would fool a spell. It had to be genuine, and that scared Hermione.  
  
Why would Malfoy have been truly nice to her, even if he gained his regular appearance back, it wouldn't be worth it to him. His reputation and pride would be gone, and she knew, from experience, that that was all he cared about was his appearance, reputation, and pride. He never had anything else and he never needed anything else, because his needs were fulfilled by the Gringotts account full of gold that he gloated about at every chance she had.  
  
Although she didn't want to admit it, least of all to herself, she was beginning to wonder what it would be like if Malfoy were nice more. She found herself imagining him smiling and not cursing her with every single word that dropped from his mouth. She chased the thought from her mind as quickly as it had come. These sort of thoughts were informally BANNED from her mind.  
  
She glanced over at the other beds in the room and glared at the one diagonal from her. Its occupant was so unpredictable and so - so - Hermione couldn't find the word. Well, actually, she probably could, but it would also cost her a week of detention to say it.  
  
Deciding that it would be best if she left the dormitory before Malfoy, ParkinCow or the other Slytherin, whose name Hermione hadn't bothered to learn, woke, Hermione changed and left to go take a walk around the Hogwarts grounds. She wouldn't be in trouble for walking, especially since it was Saturday. She would be able to be alone, alone to think her thoughts and pretend that she could travel back in time to when she had been much happier - before her dad was sick, Harry and Ron had 'dumped' her, and before she had decided that she didn't need to have any relationships with anyone whatsoever.  
  
Despite what she told herself, she knew that she was slowly sinking into some weird sort of depression, but instead of being steadily sadder and sadder like everyone assumed she would be, she was gradually disconnecting herself with anything that caused her pain, which was pretty much everything that she had been so used to having in her life. She broke off of relationships with any person that she knew, blowing them off and feeding them random lies that were obviously fake. But she couldn't help it.  
  
Whenever she looked at Ron, she thought of the perfect family that he had waiting at the Burrow, waiting for him to come home, to be happy and smiling and hugging every time they saw each other. It didn't matter that Ron always complained about them, because it was completely obvious that he loved them even though he never said it and she hated that about him. He complained about the family that he had, and he couldn't see that it was wonderful, while he said he wished he had Hermione's family, which she was sure he wouldn't if he knew what it was really like for her to live with her family the way it was.  
  
And the, to top it all off, when she looked at Harry, she knew that he was as good as Ron's brother, because the Weasley family and their house was like the home Harry never had, and she was jealous despite how much she tried to deny it. The Weasley's sat there with their doors open as though they were waiting for Harry to come, she had gone to the Weasley house too, but the Weasley's hadn't seemed to have taken to her as they had to Harry, which served to make her more jealous.  
  
She remembered how they had looked at her when Ron had first introduced her to his family; the memory haunted her now as she recalled it. They had smiled and been extremely nice enough, but how could she have ignored the signs? The over exaggerated kindness, the looks the gave her, the whispered conversations she passed when she was with Ginny waking past Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's room.  
  
She felt a surge of anger coarse through her veins and it blinded her temporarily as she remembered the times that she had suffered through, pretending that she didn't notice. How could they?  
  
Was it her fault that she wasn't famous? Did her parents have to be murdered for them to accept her? Did she have to suffer more pain than she already had before someone would stretch out their hand and help her through her pain? Did she have to be ready to kill herself before someone would feel that they needed to make sure she could have help? How could nobody notice that she wasn't really here anymore despite the curtain of perfect-ness she hid behind? Didn't anyone care about her enough to even notice that she wasn't the Hermione Granger everyone had known earlier? Didn't they know she wasn't alive inside anymore?  
  
Hermione kicked a rock and watched it hurdle across the sweeping lawns and come to a stop near the Forbidden Forest as she thought about this. How could she have expected them to understand? How COULD they understand? Everyone else had this image that she had been forcing into his or her heads for years. The simple image that her life was absolutely and completely perfect and that she wasn't in any pain. She had forced this belief into everyone's heads long ago, to avoid talking about things, but now she needed to talk to someone, and she couldn't bear to admit that she had been lying to them for years.  
  
She thought about the lies she had been feeding her friends and felt horrible. Nobody even knew that her father had cancer. She had told them that he was fine, and when they noticed that he didn't look good at Diagon Alley, she had fed them a pack of lies about having the flu. Somewhere in her heart she had always told herself that if she denied it and didn't tell anyone that the pain and problems would disappear. She told herself that if she ignored it, it would simply go away, even though she knew it wasn't true she still pretended.  
  
She felt tears sting her eyes but she didn't bother to wipe them off because more would just replace them and the flow would become worse. It bothered her to think that she was starting to act like the airheads that she saw all over the school, crying over every little thing that didn't go her way and she tried to console herself by telling herself that, unlike the girls she saw all over the school, she had a very good reason to be crying her eyes out - her life was falling apart.  
  
She ran as fast as she could to the far end of the Hogwarts grounds. She ran as though it would make her problems disappear, or maybe she could run so far away that they would never be able to catch up with her and she could live in peace. She wanted to be as far away from the castle as she possibly could. When she could run no more, she just simply collapsed on the slightly damp grass and sat there, her robes swirling around her in the wind which chilled her to the bone and made her shiver while she cried and cried. She didn't know exactly why she was crying, perhaps it was a mixture of everything that had been bothering her for the last year or so, or maybe she just needed to cry. All she knew was that she felt alone.  
  
She felt so alone that she felt alone when someone was with her. She closed her eyes wishing that she could be by the warm Gryffindor fire, sitting in armchairs with Harry and Ron, laughing about the fact that they had failed another Divination test and listening to them talking about Quiddich as though it was the best thing since sliced bread. She wouldn't have minded doing their homework for them if that was the cost for having their friendship back. At this point, she would do anything to have their friendship at the moment.  
  
She closed her eyes, remembering what it had felt like when the three of them had been sitting together in one armchair when Fred and George had ruined the others. All three of them were sitting there, Hermione in the middle, and they had promised to always be friends.  
  
Hermione laughed scornfully. Friends? Them? Forever? Like they had fulfilled their promise. Either they had broken their promise or forever had come too quickly. More tears welled up in Hermione's eyes and she hung her head lower in order to hide them from non-existent friends.  
  
"Peie courivere," Hermione whispered, remembering the ancient French term she had used to describe their friendship.  
  
"Always changing." She continued, using the English translation, and despite herself, laughed a hollow laugh.  
  
"And we saw just how much it would change." She said sarcastically as tears fell down her face. They were now tumbling down her face and there was nothing that she could do to stop them, she just let them fall.  
  
What she would give to see them smiling, to hear them talking to her, to feel their friendly touch -  
  
Hermione stiffened suddenly when she felt someone's arms around lock securely her. She didn't look at whose they were; she just sat there, with the person's strong arms locked around her, feeling safe and warm in their embrace. She was almost afraid to look at who the person was, she afraid that when she looked they would melt away and leave her alone again, here to cry as her life died.  
  
She debated whether she should look, and argued silently with herself as she cried into the person's shoulder.  
  
When she finally got the courage to look at who it was, she turned her head slowly and didn't dare to open her eyes for a few lingering seconds. When she opened her eyes, she let out a squeak of surprise at the sight of the person that was there, holding her as though it was natural.  
  
Hermione found herself staring into the face of Ron Weasley. Although she suddenly felt uncomfortable as she remembered their fights and disagreements, she didn't make any move to leave his embrace. In fact, it felt perfect to be sitting here. If she closed her eyes, she could almost pretend that they were friends again, and that he didn't hate her.  
  
If he hated her, why was he sitting here, holding her while she sobbed into his robe like a leaking hosepipe? Hermione felt herself trying to speak, trying to find the right words to say, but none of the words came out of her mouth despite how much she tried to make them come out. The closest she got was when she let out a low croak, but a small smile crossed Ron's features.  
  
"I know." He said, and she found that in these two words that he really didn't understand what she was going through, but he was trying and that was enough for her. It was all she wanted.  
  
Hermione glanced over his shoulder and saw a lone figure, leaning against a large rock, watching, and she had a strange suspicion about the person. With the fiery red hair it must be Fred or George here to spy on their brother and Hermione.  
  
She was drug from her thoughts when Ron spoke once again.  
  
"I'm sorry." He said, and warm relief spread through her body from her heart to the very tips of her fingers completely making her forget the person watching. She had a friend again. She had Ron. She had her brother, her companion, her crying pillow. But she didn't feel like crying now, she just sat, in his arms, and laughed. She didn't know why, but she couldn't stop. She was laughing as she looked at Ron.  
  
And somehow, in that moment, she knew that everything would be alright. It didn't matter that everything else in her life was wrong, this was right.  
  
Ron was back.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione stumbled into the Advanced Transfiguration room, blind with happiness. Her and Ron had spent the past few hours talking and laughing just like nothing had happened, and he had told her things she never would have guessed. Apparently when he "dumped" her and told her he didn't like her it was an excuse to cover the fact that he was scared.  
  
Her heart felt a lot lighter to think that Ron didn't hate her now and was willing to spend hours, holding her while she cried and laughing with her when they talked about stupid things they had done.  
  
Even though Ron had told her that Harry didn't want to face her after the things they had said to her, he said that they were both as sorry as the purple slippers Neville Longbottom frequently wore.  
  
Hermione was so happy that she didn't notice that there was a lone figure sitting on the widow ledge, their legs dangling out of the window so that one push could send them hurdling down toward the ground.  
  
She was humming to herself and she couldn't hide her smile. Despite the fact that her image was horrible altered, Hermione felt at perfect peace with herself and the world around her, as though her life truly was perfect like she had been trying to convince people all along.  
  
In fact, it came as a shock when she looked up and saw the person leaning against the wall of the window sill, now standing, and facing the Hogwarts grounds, their robes and hair blowing in the wind.  
  
She couldn't help but notice that Malfoy looked horribly lonely and seemed to be as miserable as she had been hours before. She began debating whether she should say something to him, and almost decided against talking to him, but made up her mind that she undeniably owed herself and him at least one more chance.  
  
She walked quietly behind him and when she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper, as though she was afraid that he would strike her.  
  
"Malfoy. . .?" she said tentively, and when he didn't answer, she spoke again, almost quieter than before.  
  
"Are. . . are you okay?" he still didn't answer and she wondered whether he was ignoring her or if he couldn't talk, like she had felt for so long. When he didn't answer, she tried to make him talk one last feeble time.  
  
"Do you. . . wanna. . . talk?" she asked and he whipped around to face her, a sneer across every feature on his face and she knew that nothing good would be tumbling out of his mouth with this look on his face.  
  
"Even if I had anything to talk about, I wouldn't waste my breath on a meaningless worthless Mudblood scumbag like you." Hermione was surprised by the harshness of the words used, even though she hadn't expected him to be happy to see her, she hadn't expected him to speak as though the words that he said had the ability to kill her.  
  
Hermione didn't even bother to glare at him; she just shuffled away, and nearly tripped over her own feet. She looked down at them, and realized that she had tripped over them because they were about a foot and a half smaller.  
  
She had completely forgotten about the curses, and she was happy that her feet were back to normal, but she was sure that her hair was going to be forever green, because it had used every last ounce of her strength to not blow up in Malfoy's face when he had given her his death glare.  
  
She hated him and that was all there was to it. She was never going to waste her time trying to make him feel better again. He was a cocky, conceited, jerky, selfish, self-centered, rude, snide. . .  
  
~+~  
  
After successfully venting all of her anger on the thought of Malfoy, Hermione slid into her seat at the Gryffindor table between Ron and Harry. They had had a long talk and both of them had apologized to her for every little thing that they had done, and she realized that they remembered everything that they had said to hurt her as much as she had remembered every remark, which made her more willing to forgive them than she had thought she would ever be.  
  
She kissed each of them on the cheek and reached for the mashed potatoes, failing to realize that she had rendered both of the speechless and immobile. They were staring at their plates, not moving, much less breathing, and Hermione was beginning to worry slightly. What was wrong with them? Had she done something completely wrong, or were they getting stupider as she watched?  
  
She began shoveling food onto her plate when she looked over at Ron and caught his expression of disbelief and shock, and when she looked at Harry she noticed that he had a quite similar look.  
  
She hadn't seen these looks on their faces since first year when she had come in, introduced herself, and talked far more than she should have. Except, she remembered, Ron's face was more contorted into a look of pure horror and dislike while Harry looked more lost and dumbfounded than anything else.  
  
". . . What?" she asked, and they both seemed to come out of their stupor. Both of them flushed and began taking food.  
  
"What?" Hermione persisted, and they both pretended to ignore her, but she knew that they had heard her perfectly.  
  
"Ronald Weasley," she said, and then she paused, trying to think of what to call Harry, she said the first thing that came to mind.  
  
"Harold Potter," both of them burst out laughing while Hermione watched them with disbelief written across her face. They were so thick.  
  
"What?" she said again and all she succeeded in was making them laugh harder.  
  
"Fine." She said and she pouted. She was sure that they now had some inside joke that she would never understand, but she didn't care. All she cared about was the fact that she now had friends back, even if they were still uncomfortable around her. Harry more so than Ron.  
  
She closed her eyes and remembered how she had felt in Ron's arms. At first she thought she had a crush on Ron, but when she thought about it, she realized it was more of a bond. He was her big brother (literally), there to protect her, although he wasn't as protective of her as he was of Ginny, for this she was thankful.  
  
Harry was like the awkward cousin or something. He always stood out, but he never really seemed to be comfortable around Hermione, but she was sure that it wasn't because he 'liked' her or something, because that had been cleared up with a vial of truth potion.  
  
Maybe he was just uncomfortable with her because he still remembered everything he had said about her and he didn't want to say anything else because he was afraid that he would say something wrong.  
  
Hermione desperately tried to convince herself that this was true as she ate. When she glanced at her watch she felt a pang in her stomach. Another Advanced Transfiguration lesson had been called tonight, and she had five minutes left to get there.  
  
Dropping her knife and fork, Hermione stood up, swore, and ran out of the hall. She would have to run down to the other end of the castle. She took off at top speed, hoping that she wasn't going to be too late or get in trouble.  
  
That was the last thing she needed.  
  
~+~  
  
As Hermione rushed into the room, she was glad to see that Professor McGonagall had not yet arrived, meaning that there was no way she could be late.  
  
The very second that she sat down, Professor McGonagall swept in and Hermione sighed a sigh of relief. A few seconds longer and she would have been in more trouble than she could even begin to comprehend.  
  
"Before we continue, I have a grave announcement to make." Professor McGonagall said, and Hermione listened intently. She hoped it would be any more bad news for her, because she was just starting to regain the ability to smile again and she didn't want to lose it.  
  
"One of our students is going to be asked to leave." Professor McGonagall said, and Hermione felt an odd feeling in her stomach. Maybe Malfoy would be chucked out. That would make things much easier.  
  
"Miss Pansy Parkinson -" Hermione couldn't believe her ears. PARKINSON? This was good news. That meant that there was one less Slytherin taking space in the dormitory.  
  
Hermione tried hard to hide her glee. Pansy Parkinson was gone, which meant another load of stress was taken off of her shoulders. She sighed. Today was making everything much better than she would have ever imagined it would be.  
  
She kept thinking about Pansy leaving as they continued the Advanced Transfiguration lesson.  
  
~+~  
  
That night, Hermione had a restless sleep. She dreamt about two animals, but this time they were different.  
  
A dragon and a golden fox were curled up next to each other, and again this struck Hermione as odd. She tried to walk forward but felt that she could only stumble backward as the fox and dragon slumbered, unaware of her existence.  
  
The dragon's wing was curled protectively around the fox, and the fox seemed to be content to be lying there, under the dragon's wing, completely safe from harm, warm and calm.  
  
Again, Hermione felt herself wondering when the dragon was about to attack the fox, or vice versa, because these two creatures were from two different worlds, complete enemies. . .  
  
. . .  
  
Like her and Malfoy. . .  
  
Draco. . .  
  
She corrected herself subconsciously as she lay, half asleep, think about the dragon, who suddenly had pink eyes and bright red horns. . .  
  
The fox's fur turned green. . .  
  
The two snuggled closer as Hermione drifted further into unconsciousness. She would think about this in the morning. She was too tired. . .  
  
Sleep . . .  
  
~+~  
  
Bum BAH! I have finished this chapter; Chapter 8 will be written as fast as humanly possible!!! What do you think? Is a chapter a day too fast? Should I prolong the agony? Anyway, please review. 


	9. The Battle of Wits

~ The Simon Cowell of Fanfiction.net ~ - Don't worry about being lame. . . I currently reside in Lamesville. =) I am going to make things get a little better for Hermione soon. . .  
  
Artemis - Oh, thank you so much, and yes, I hate stories where Draco has somehow "changed" and he is "really nice" now, because it's just not happenin' for me. God shall have to help me, I may have to prolong the agony. . . =(  
  
Purple Spotted Hedwig - Hmm. . . interesting s/n. . . ahem. . . The faster the better? Should my fingers come off? =) Like a published book?! Nah. . . I don't think so. I'm not writing this in his point of view, because that would be kinda weird. MAYBE (emphasis on maybe) I'll write the story again but from his POV.  
  
blueamber - 23:50 of agony. . . hmm. . . Okay, not that I don't LIKE your idea, but I already have *my* idea, so you'll have to wait and see. Those dreams'll make sense soon too, Alrighty?  
  
willowfairy - OMG, I have to break a circle? That's not good. I'll write as fast as I possibly can!!!  
  
Imperfectionist - I WILL keep writing. . . I WILL I WILL I WILL! =D  
  
Hmm. . . odd, has anyone seen freakyfairy? Anyway, read the chapter, review, make me HAPPY!!!!  
  
~+~  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Hermione awoke the next morning, and she felt as though she had been run over by a large semi-truck that weighed more than a thousand or so elephants. She didn't feel any better than she had the night before she lay down, and she felt less rested than she had before she went to bed, so she had a feeling that she didn't sleep too well the night before.  
  
Sighing, she rolled out of the bed and began stumbling around the room to get ready of the day. Her classes started soon and she wasn't looking forward to them like she had in the past, they seemed to be just another reason that she didn't want to wake up, but she always did anyway. She got up, just like she had every day, glared at Malfoy's sleeping form, got quickly dressed to avoid being there when the other people in the room woke up, slung her bag over he shoulder, stumbled down the stairs, ate, and "enjoyed" a day of classes.  
  
Everything was beginning to blur together and she wasn't able to distinguish happenings from one day to the next day anymore, because everything seemed to be one long, horrible day.  
  
One long horrible day that was going to continue as long as she lived.  
  
~+~  
  
The weeks rolled by, and before she knew it, it was late into November, and she had gotten into another fight with Harry and Ron. Although she was sure that they weren't going to stay mad at each other long, she couldn't help but feel that they had lost some of the compatibility they had had in earlier years because they didn't get along as well anymore. She couldn't deny the fact that they were changing, and their interests were changing more and more from hers.  
  
She wasn't paying as much attention in her lessons. She found her thoughts were full of two main subjects - annoying Draco Malfoy and killing Draco Malfoy. She didn't care what he said to her anymore, she mostly tuned it out, but she still didn't like to listen to him talk like he was the king of Norway.  
  
In fact, Hermione felt herself drifting away during an Advanced Transfiguration lesson, and she was lucky, because Professor McGonagall spoke loudly when the message was important which took her from her thoughts. Otherwise, she would have never heard anything that was said.  
  
"And, I would like to say, that to improve the relationships between everyone here in the Advanced Transfiguration dormitories, everyone should buy a small gift for each person that is in the dormitory. If not for everyone, then the people that you are in the same sleeping quarters with." Professor McGonagall's words seemed to have an instant effect on the group. The Ravenclaws were protesting that that would be a complete waste of money and that they didn't want to give the gifts, and Hermione was protesting that that would be a complete waste of money and that she didn't want to accept the gifts.  
  
The protests grew louder and louder as everyone began yelling to be heard over everyone else, who were also yelling, and they yelled louder to be heard, and so this continued on until it sounded like everyone were yelling drunks in the Advanced Transfiguration room.  
  
Professor McGonagall completely ignored the protests, and pressed on with her talking, causing everyone else to stop talking or face missing important notices and facts. When Professor McGonagall continued speaking about Christmas presents, the stem of protests came again.  
  
The main flow of protests came from the mouths of a few particular Ravenclaws that Hermione disliked immensely and didn't care whether the got her a present or not that Christmas and for every Christmas to come.  
  
"I REFUSE to buy presents for these ingrates." Said one of the Ravenclaws that Hermione had lodged with before, and the other two annoying Ravenclaws that had also been in the dormitory nodded their avid agreement. Hermione couldn't have cared less, she would have thrown away anything they gave her anyway.  
  
Professor McGonagall seemed to consider them for a moment before she spoke, and her words shocked Hermione. She hadn't been expecting what happened next, and it was quite obvious that neither did anyone else in the room, judging, of course, by their facial expressions and incessant stuttering.  
  
"Then I suggest you go pack your things. I expect you to be gone in the next twenty minutes." Professor McGonagall said flatly, and there was silence following these words. When nobody moved, Professor McGonagall continued talking and the Ravenclaws seemed to have called an "emergency meeting" scheduled during Professor McGonagall's instruction time.  
  
As she was nearing the end of her speech, the three Ravenclaws stood up and walked up to their dormitory without making any noise and obviously thinking that if they left while Professor McGonagall was talking, she wouldn't notice that they had left until later, but they should have known that Professor McGonagall was definitely not a stupid teacher. They were gone within fifteen minutes.  
  
"And," said Professor McGonagall, proving that she HAD seen the Ravenclaws leave, she addressed the remaining students who were still shocked to have seen Ravenclaws walk out of a class, especially Professor McGonagall's. "The Hufflepuff, Mr. Cornwall, will be moving into the bed that was previously occupied by Miss Parkinson -" All three of the other occupants of the dormitory scowled, but Professor McGonagall only seemed to notice the Slytherin that Hermione didn't know, and for this she was glad. She didn't want to have another talk with Professor McGonagall about how she wasn't setting a good example for the younger students.  
  
" - don't give me that look Mr. Prudie - and I want all of you to make him feel welcome." Hermione sighed. At least things couldn't get much worse.  
  
~+~  
  
As was expected, things got steadily worse ever since the Hufflepuff had moved into the dormitory and it was taking its toll on every member of the dormitory, not just Hermione, and for this reason she put up with it longer than she would have normally, but it got to the point where it had to stop. The Hufflepuff seemed to expect everyone to wait on him hand and foot, and it was getting on Hermione's nerves, and she could tell it was getting on Malfoy and Prudie's nerves as well.  
  
It got to the point where Malfoy had hexed the Hufflepuff student, but Cornwall dodged the hex and, instead, the hex hit Hermione dead on, which became instantly a permanent feature because of the spell that Professor McGonagall had put on her and Malfoy a while before.  
  
Hermione sighed and looked in the mirror to see what hex had taken its toll on her now. It took her a few seconds to realize what had happened. Hermione felt anger surge through her as she saw what had happened. The anger coursed through her and she hated Malfoy more than she ever had before.  
  
Apparently the Hufflepuff was muggle born too, because tattooed across her forehead was "Mudblood". Hermione glared at her reflection for a minute before she heard laughter.  
  
All three of the people in the dormitory room were laughing hysterically and pointing at Hermione, which made her breath deeply, and Hermione's anger erupted without warning. She couldn't hold it in any longer and she completely lost control and exploded.  
  
She let out a scream of anger and rushed toward Malfoy, the only reason being he was the one who had originated the cures, so she directed her fury at him instead of anyone else. She tackled him and banged his head into the ground repeatedly while she cussed and swore at him. This ceased seconds after it started, because he was much stronger than her.  
  
He grabbed her wrists and held them in a painfully tight grip to keep her from hurting him and glared at her with pure hate accenting every line and feature in his face. His anger was quite evident, even through the now developing bruise on his eye, and Hermione was surprised that she had been angry enough to do that, but she didn't feel one single bit sorry.  
  
"What are you going to do now, you little, meaningless, pitiful, sad excuse for a person, worthless, dirty, Mudblood b -" Malfoy stopped ranting as well as talking as he noticed that the door handle was turning as though someone was trying to get in, and the Slytherin boy, Prudie, flicked his wand and locked the door.  
  
The doorknob instantly stopped rattling and there was a flash of light as the person tried to unlock the door, but the spell held fast and the door didn't open, which seemed to satisfy Malfoy.  
  
Malfoy turned back to continue insulting Hermione, but she was completely ready for him this time. When he turned back to her, the look of malice on his face, she took careful aim, and spat at him hitting him dead in the face.  
  
He dropped her wrists and wiped his face with the sleeve of his robes while he swore about her under his breath, but she was too pleased with herself to notice. She had a defense that he would never want to make her use again, and she was very happy. So happy, in fact, that she didn't care that she had Mudblood tattooed across her face.  
  
Smiling to herself, she turned and walked over to her bed, where she sat down to examine her wrists. He had been gripping them so tightly that there were red marks where his hands had been, and Hermione rubbed them furiously, glaring at Malfoy the whole time.  
  
~+~  
  
Christmas was quickly approaching, and despite how much she hated the idea, she decided that she would buy something for every person in the Advanced Transfiguration dormitory because, she figured, that would give them less of a reason to hate her, as it seemed everyone did.  
  
Her hardest task was to figure out what Malfoy wanted, because she was sure that he wouldn't even look at her let alone TALK to her. Not that she liked the idea of talking to him that much either.  
  
She stormed into the common room where he was sitting - alone - glaring at the fire with such hatred that she was sure he was pretending that it was her head, which was fine with her. Although she couldn't seem to notice that he seemed to be meaner to her ever since the day he had helped her with her spell  
  
"Malfoy." She said, and he didn't even turn to look at her which made her feel quite annoyed. If he was half the gentleman that he always bragged about then he would at least turn to look at her when she was trying to talk to him, but no, he stared at the fire as though he didn't even know she was there, although she knew full well that he knew she was there.  
  
"Go away Mudblood." He said plainly with a scowl broadcast on his face, and she rolled her eyes in extreme exasperation. Why was he always so. . . Malfoyish? Couldn't he be nice to anyone, EVER?  
  
"Answer my question, alright?" she said, trying to keep the air of fake happiness and calm in her voice, but she was fighting a losing battle, especially since he didn't seem to want to cooperate.  
  
"No, go away." Malfoy repeated, and she felt her eyes roll back in their sockets, and she closed her eyes, praying for patience that wouldn't come, and this she knew, but she prayed anyway.  
  
"ANSWER my question." She said, and again he didn't even bother to face her, but he continued staring at the fire as though it was going to be the answer to all of his problems. He was making her so angry she longed to kick him swiftly in the face to make him pay attention to her, but ignored urge.  
  
"Go away, Mudblood." He said. Hermione clenched her hands into fists as she glared at Malfoy's back.  
  
"Shut up and answer my question." Hermione said, and Malfoy rolled his eyes at her in scorn and he laughed hollowly.  
  
"How can I answer you if I shut up?" He asked sarcastically and Hermione found herself longing to punch him. Instead, she settled for yelling at him.  
  
"Goddamn you, YOU KNOW what I mean, PUREBLOOD." She said, and she said "pureblood" as though it were a horrible swear word. Malfoy seemed shocked by this approach, but quickly recovered, but not before he had shown his anger.  
  
When she had spoke, he jumped up and glared at her before realizing what he had done, but he didn't are anymore.  
  
"You don't know what you're talking about, Mudblood." He said, and she tightened her fists so that her nails dug into her palms, causing them to feel like they were bleeding.  
  
"I know exactly what I'm talking about, and I don't care what you think, alright?" she said this angrily and quickly.  
  
"I never care what you say, whenever I hear your voice, it offends me." Malfoy said, smirking as though he had won the argument. He was standing ten feet away from her, but glaring all the same.  
  
She marched angrily over to him and glared at him, now only two feet away from him and hatred was etched in her face as plain as her eyes.  
  
"Yeah?" she said. "Oh, well, nothing you say offends me - I'm glad you can string words into sentences now, and in case you were wondering, you offend my by just being there." She said, and mimicked his smirk.  
  
"You're worth less than the dirt on my shoes." Malfoy said and Hermione's nostrils flared as she glared at him.  
  
"Ditto."  
  
Hermione glared at Malfoy and turned around, crossed her arms, and sat down with her back facing him. She couldn't believe how obnoxious he could be sometimes. If he hated her so much, then why did he even bother to talk to her? He could just as easily ignore her.  
  
"You're just a pathetic Mudblood." He said angrily as he kicked a wooden chair, that Hermione frequently sat in, into the wall where it splintered apart when it met the hard surface bricks.  
  
"You know, that would hurt me a little bit more if I wasn't so used to hearing it ever ten words. I've heard it for four years of my life, MALFOY, and I'm not scared of you anyway."  
  
Although Hermione continued arguing with Malfoy, she wasn't even thinking about what she was saying. She was thinking about Harry and Ron again. She was happy that they were friends again, but she didn't feel like everything was "back to normal" between them, but they talked to her now, and that was good enough for her - at least, right now it was.  
  
"You're a plain Mudblood with a temper that -"  
  
"Just SHUP UP and tell me what you want for Christmas." Hermione said angrily to Malfoy. She was tired of listening to him take out every frustration on her, because she thought he had already done enough damage to her as it stood. The inadvertent tattoo and the green hair. What would he do to her next?  
  
Get the information you need, and leave, Hermione thought to herself. Right.  
  
Malfoy wrinkled his eyebrows and stared at Hermione for a minute, obviously at a loss of words.  
  
Thank God he isn't talking, Hermione thought.  
  
"Why?" he asked with heavy emphasis on the word. Hermione rolled her eyes heavenward.  
  
"Because I love wasting my money on gifts for people that hate me." Hermione said sarcastically. "Because I HAVE to, you Moron." She said as she rolled her eyes again.  
  
DUUH . . . He's such an idiot, along with everything else. She told herself.  
  
"Why would I want anything from YOU? It'd be poisoned with mudblood scum. I don't want anything from you."  
  
"Poison? Alright." Hermione said, making a note.  
  
Malfoy gave her a death glare.  
  
"If I had to live with you any longer and Christmas wasn't soon so I could go home, I would poison your pumpkin juice." He told her as he gestured toward a mug that he was holding. Hermione rolled her eyes and glared back at him.  
  
"If I had to live with you any longer, I would drink it, Malfoy." She said, and he narrowed his eyes.  
  
"You think you're the amazing witch, but you're just a worm to me. Don't forget that Granger."  
  
"That's funny." Hermione said, cupping one ear with her hand as though she couldn't hear. "Sounds like English, but I don't understand a word your babbling." She said, smirking again.  
  
"Very funny, Know-It-All." Malfoy said and he stormed up the stairs, leaving Hermione rather satisfied. She had won the battle wits, act one.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione couldn't help but notice that Fred or George were always spying on her when she was with Ron or Harry, but they were always alone, their fiery red hair so red it looked like it was paint.  
  
She couldn't figure out why they would be spying on her, and it got steadily worse. She started seeing the lone figure everywhere she went, always leaning against the wall, arms crossed, staring in her direction but not acknowledging her existence, and to be honest, it made Hermione feel giddy.  
  
She didn't like the idea that there was someone that was spying on her all the time, but whenever she tried to approach the figure, they would always disappear before she got close enough to talk to them or even get a good look at their face which made her think it was Fred or George even more. She didn't know what they were planning to do to her, but it wasn't going to be a good thing, of that she was sure.  
  
Malfoy was getting steadily meaner as time progressed, and he never showed any emotion besides anger.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione felt herself sinking into a sad depression as the Christmas holiday approached. She wasn't allowed to go home because her parents were traveling to Switzerland to "relive their honeymoon" as it had said in the letter, so she was going to be staying here, but her mood livened when she found out that Malfoy wasn't going to be here.  
  
Maybe she would enjoy Christmas after all.  
  
~+~  
  
As she watched the carriages full of people that were going home for the Christmas holidays, she watched, sadly, as Harry and Ron walked away, but her mood brightened when they both turned back and waved, energetically, to her.  
  
Perhaps this Christmas wouldn't be so bad after all.  
  
~+~  
  
A/N: I am sorry to inform you that the chapters may be coming once every two days because I have a camp to work at for a week, which takes ALL stinkin' DAY . . . I will write as quickly as I possibly can, so don't kill me, and remember to review!!! 


	10. But It's Unheard of

Darkmoon of Shadows - Thanky thanky. I liked the "Battle of Wits" as well, and that took me some thought *GASP* to come up with it. I hope I posted this chapters soon enough for you to read before you left!!!  
  
Tanuki-Hime - Hmm. . . you have an interesting s/n. . . Thanks for the compliments and do NOT worry. I have every intention of finishing this story.  
  
blueamber - LOL. I am sorry if it becomes 47 hours and 50 minutes of agony, but that is just the way it might have to be. =( I have been keeping schedule as of now, and I hope I can tomorrow.  
  
willowfairy - Oh, okay, good. As long as you only torture me. . . =0 Dun dun dun ! I got someone hooked! And it's not on phonics. (I just entered SUPER Lamesville. . . or maybe it was Dorkville. . .)  
  
Eleanor Branstone - thanks! Yup, yup. Things are starting to get better for Hermione, but I'm sure she isn't too fond of her tattoo. . .  
  
starz-n-tearz - You're frustrated? Oh my. . . He's still being horrible because I've read stories where Draco is suddenly "nice dude" and he has completely changed and that would never happen.  
  
freakyfairy - You like the argument? COOL! I mean. . . okay. . . Thanks for the compliment, you maketh meth feeleth goodeth.  
  
Purple Spotted Hedwig - Now what reason would I have for everything to be perfect? And, there will be more with Anamagaii (or whatever. . . I'll check it later) in the next chapter.  
  
Imperfectionist - LOL, yes, so do I and I can't believe Saquoia made them be around each ot - oh, right. . . I'M Saquoia. . . =D  
  
Alright, I just wanted to ask whether everyone thought that I was doing a good job of portraying Malfoy, because sometimes I don't think I did very well, so just tell me what you think, enjoy the chappy and review!!!  
  
--Saquoia--  
  
~+~  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Hermione stared out the window as she woke up with the sun. This was the last day of the Christmas holidays and it had been the worst Christmas holiday she had ever had. She got the usual pity gifts from the Weasleys and she got some books from Harry and Ron that they seemed to have bought in another attempt to apologize for everything that they had done lately, but Hermione didn't need presents. All she needed were her friends, who were currently having the time of their lives at the Burrow, enjoying Christmas, without her, opening wonderful gifts.  
  
Hermione thought about the ugly socks that Dobby had given her and the miscellaneous presents that had been given to her, all of which didn't mean anything to her. Nothing was given to her with thought or care, just with guilt or necessity, which made her feel even worse.  
  
In fact, the highlight of her present opening had been the exploding necklace, which had been given to her by one of the Ravenclaw freaks, that she threw into the garbage and it had ignited the can, causing her to be greatly relieved that she had decided not to chance opening the package. So far, her Christmas composed of five people - Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, Professor Trelawney, Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout, and she hadn't spoken to any of them.  
  
Hermione had yet to see a student that was still at the castle, and she had an uncanny feeling that people were avoiding her, and it probably had something to do with the tattoo that was across her forehead, which she had been trying to hide with anything she could think of - make up, hair, magic - but nothing seemed to be able to hide it and she was sure that she was going to murder Malfoy the second she saw his sneering face near hers again.  
  
She sighed - sometimes she felt sorry for Malfoy, and sometimes she wanted to strangle him just to watch him turn purple. It was like he was two completely different people. In one hand he was the poor Draco Malfoy who deserved to be pitied because his life was centered around money and looks rather than anything important in the long run and the only friends that he could obtain were ugly, troll-like thugs that couldn't spell their way out of a box, and in the other hand there was the sneering, smirking face of a too pampered jerk that didn't deserve a second glance let alone a feeling of pity or any emotion other that pure anger and disgust.  
  
"Some day I'll stop thinking about him." Hermione muttered as she closed her eyes for a few brief seconds, remembering how much had happened to her in a few short years.  
  
Hermione rolled out of bed, leaving her pajamas on, even though the pants were hugging her hips and the t-shirt was hanging off one shoulder, and walked over to the window and just stared out it as she watched the sun rising over the mountains that were barely visible over the Forbidden Forest.  
  
She had always enjoyed watching things out of the vast windows in the Hogwarts castle - every window was like a new adventure and she knew that this was true, seeing as she lived in a place full of magic, witches and wizards she didn't find anything hard to believe anymore.  
  
As she glanced back at the forest, Hermione felt a jolt in her stomach and craned closer to the window to look out of it.  
  
Hermione squinted as she saw a black figure flying over the forest, but brushed it off as a bird as she turned and decided that she would get some breakfast in the Great Hall as she heard her stomach rumble, telling her that it was definitely time to go and eat something, and soon.  
  
Still not bothering to get dressed, she put her school robe over her pajamas and walked down the stairs of the Advanced Transfiguration dormitory to make her way to the Great Hall.  
  
On her way down, she ran into Professor Snape, who didn't even notice her or dock points and he continued on his way muttering something about "Mister Malfoy" and Hermione couldn't have cared less. As long as Snape was preoccupied, she wouldn't have to keep her guard up.  
  
As she made her way down to the greatly un - crowded Great Hall, she heard more people talking about Malfoy and wondered what the deal was about the whole deal. Nobody seemed to talk about him whenever he was here, but now he wasn't here and everyone was talking about him as though he were the hottest thing to talk about since the idiot on the front of the latest Crush magazine.  
  
Curious now, Hermione continued walking to the Great Hall and she saw the figure that she had seen over the Forbidden Forest coming closer to the castle, and she now saw that it was a person that was almost falling off their broomstick. Hermione gasped and ran over to the window that she was closest to.  
  
The figure, although she couldn't see their hair or any other feature, was being followed by large creatures that she had never seen before, and she was extremely glad she had never seen them before. They looked somewhat like enormous birds, but they had rotting flesh faces and their beaks glowed in an eerie way. Their wings were skeletal and also seemed to be decaying and their eyes were blood red, as though their faces were the face of hate.  
  
Hermione blasted the window open with her wand and screamed out it at the figure that she was sure had not seen the creatures behind them. She didn't care who was there because all she knew was that she didn't want to watch someone die in front of her face, she didn't know if she would be able to bear it.  
  
"HEY!" she yelled, but the figure didn't turn, and Hermione was afraid that they couldn't hear her, and all the while the creatures were advancing, getting closer to their meal that they were planning, and Hermione's mind screamed at her to do something, anything, to keep the person from being eaten.  
  
"WATCH OUT!" She screamed as loud as her throat and lungs would allow her to as she sent a flurry of exploding sparks into the air and apparently her voice had carried well or the sparks had caught their immediate attention, because the figure whipped around and sent a blast of light at the creatures, which sent them reeling in the opposite direction, burning and exploding into crisps as they did so.  
  
Hermione sighed in relief. She didn't have to watch someone die, she had helped save them. And then she watched as the figure landed on the ground and stood up, as they slowly walked to the castle. The person finally tripped and fell down, and they were close enough for Hermione to see their face.  
  
Draco Malfoy lay there, in the snow, unmoving. Hermione looked around, waiting for someone to go and help him, but nobody seemed to see that he was there. She didn't know what to do, so she pulled her robes around herself and set out at a run toward the doors of the Entrance Hall, but felt an arm grab around her waist and she lost her breath.  
  
Trying to regain her breath, Hermione felt herself dropped to the ground as feet rushed past her head. Hermione blinked a few times as she raised her head. The doors to the entrance of Hogwarts were open and three teachers, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and Professor Durmnov (the new Runes teacher) were all rushing out around Malfoy.  
  
Hermione watched as they levitated him and walked in past her, taking him to the hospital wing. Hermione sat up and rubbed her ribs where the person's arms had grabbed her and walked to the Great Hall, wondering why she had been so quick to try to help Malfoy.  
  
It was instinct, she told herself, although she knew that she didn't believe herself one, single, bit.  
  
~+~  
  
As Hermione walked down the halls, she thought about Malfoy and his immediate surprise entry to the Hogwarts castle, yet she wondered why all of the teachers had seemed to have known that he was coming back. At least, that was what she had assumed, but she wasn't one hundred percent positive that they had known, as it was only an assumption, but in the past, her assumptions had been correct or very close to correct, so she didn't question the thought.  
  
Hermione found herself wondering why he had come to Hogwarts early, and on a broomstick too. Why hadn't he just come on the train the next day like every other student was going to? Why had he come back here now?  
  
Why hadn't he come back with the rest of the students, safe and sound, but decided to come to Hogwarts a day early with wounds that suggested something horrible had happened to him before he made it here, because his injuries were too severe to have been caused by a broomstick accident.  
  
He had looked absolutely horrible and a little worse for the wear and as though he had been attacked or something, which brought another question to Hermione's mind instantly.  
  
She closed her eyes as she remembered what she had seen.  
  
And why were those creatures chasing him? Hermione was sure that she had never seen them and she had even gone to the library to look them up, but found nothing about them, which worried Hermione, not only about Malfoy, but the general population of Hogwarts.  
  
These creatures were obviously dark creatures, and unidentifiable dark creatures, loose on the Hogwarts grounds was not something that would be looked upon as luck. Hermione wondered whether they were sent to do something, or if it was a fluke and they didn't normally come around this part of the world.  
  
She didn't want to know what the creatures were, and Hermione wondered whether the creatures should have existed at all. They seemed to be extremely dangerous, and she wondered if they were illegal creations or legal yet highly dangerous lab animals that were concocted to be used for evil.  
  
Hmm. . . Despite the fact that she was trying to stay out of control- freak zone, she didn't think that she could go much longer without understanding what was happening around the castle.  
  
She found herself wondering whether Malfoy was alright and if the creatures had hurt him before he got to Hogwarts, because he had some nasty cuts that she had seen and he had looked absolutely exhausted as he attempted to fly toward the castle, and it made Hermione wonder what had happened to him before he came to the Hogwarts school castle. Was he here because it was the 'safe zone' for him, or was it some other reason? Perhaps his father and mother had important evil business to attend to.  
  
Yes, Hermione convinced herself, that was what happened. They had to go to some Voldemort convention.  
  
The only reason she believed this was because she had had experience with the Malfoys and she knew that there was not a drop of conscience or kindness in the Malfoy family, as she had had much experience with Draco Malfoy and had no intention of believing that he wasn't evil.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione had retreated to the Advanced Transfiguration dormitory common room with a large mug of hot cocoa in her hand, and was curled up on the couch with a book in her arms, but was torn from her ring of concentration when someone stumbled into the common room and collapsed on the couch.  
  
Hermione looked up and saw the figure of Draco Malfoy lying, slumped on the couch, and she was surprised to note that he hadn't insulted her or even acknowledged that she was there.  
  
She stood up to leave and caught sight of his face. Apparently Madam Pomfrey hadn't been there, because she was out with someone in the Bahamas, because his face was covered in bruises and scratches, and she had a feeling that they had nothing to do with the broom ride to Hogwarts.  
  
She walked slowly toward him, and took a deep breath, trying to make sure that she didn't sound rude or nosy when she spoke.  
  
"M-Malfoy?" she said quietly, and when he turned to look at her, she realized that he had many scratches and bruises, just on his face alone and she didn't want to know how badly he was hurt.  
  
She was instantly told that it was worse when he didn't insult her or make any fun of her. She felt concern fill her mind and it was the first time that she had begun to regard Malfoy as a true human.  
  
"What happened . . . to your . . .face?" she asked slowly and quietly. Malfoy seemed to be pretending that he hadn't heard her and Hermione couldn't decide whether she should be worried or angry.  
  
"Please answer me, please?" she tried again, but he didn't answer and Hermione was beginning to feel annoyed. Why wasn't he willing to answer her?  
  
Malfoy didn't look at her, and she could have sworn that he moved away from her slightly, as though he was avoiding her and all rational though left Hermione's mind.  
  
Anger was starting to dominate the emotions and Hermione was desperate to make him answer her before she exploded in his face, because, despite how she had always acted before, she didn't want to make him look or feel any worse than he appeared to look and feel already.  
  
Hermione decided to take a chance and do something she hadn't ever though she would catch herself doing no matter what happened, but she somehow felt that at this moment all of her other thoughts weren't important now as she watched Malfoy look so miserable.  
  
Watching him makes me wonder about him. . . Hermione thought as she took a deep breath and began talking again.  
  
". . . Draco. . . What's wrong?" she said this in an almost whisper, but it was more effective at getting his attention than yelling or exploding could have ever been. When he looked at her, his *cough* pink eyes looked like she had never seen them (completely ignoring that fact that they were PINK).  
  
His eyes seemed to show a portal into the depths of his soul, his most guarded secrets, they seemed to show something that he should have never been capable of feeling - fear. He was afraid of something, but he didn't make any move to tell her or explain anything, and Hermione felt her female instincts taking over.  
  
Here was this poor, helpless boy here, and when she looked at him she no longer saw a cruel and cunning 15-year-old, but a lost and forlorn 6- year-old staring at her through Malfoy's eyes.  
  
Hermione felt as she had never felt before. She had never expected to think and look at Draco Malfoy the way she was right now. She felt different about him, as though she had never met him before.  
  
She felt the urge to hug him, to comfort him, to whisper in his ear comforting words that would make him relax and smile. Make him hate her even. Something to rid her of this Draco Malfoy that she knew nothing about. It scared her to think that he could be something completely different than she had always assumed.  
  
When he didn't answer, Hermione decided to try and push her luck one more time, and she wasn't prepared for what he did next, which totally threw down her shield that she had raised and made her heart melt.  
  
"Will, you. . . at least. . . LOOK at me?" Hermione asked, thinking that the next look she got was going to be a death glare, or perhaps another look which contained venom and pure hate that was directed straight at her, something that showed years of dislike and rage.  
  
Malfoy turned to look her dead in the eyes, and she could see his eyes were shining and his face wasn't contorted into a look of rage, it was a look of sadness. He looked like a lost puppy, or that kitten that wants its mother. Hermione's heart melted even more than before and she felt her mind screaming, "THIS IS MALFOY." While her instincts were screaming, "Aww . . . look how sad and alone he looks . . ." and it was true. For the first time in Hermione's life, she saw that Draco Malfoy, the utter and complete jackass and conceited bully of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, looked completely alone.  
  
His shining eyes were now leaking, and Hermione saw that Draco Malfoy was now showing the greatest weakness of all. He was crying.  
  
Draco Malfoy COULD and WAS crying.  
  
~+~  
  
HAHAHA! Cliffhanger!!! Please review and I am proud of myself for staying on schedule. (This chappy was written in 2 ½ hours, don't be too mean to it, a'ight?) Sorry it's shorter than normal.  
  
Please don't fret - Draco hasn't turned to some emotional nice dude. 


	11. Most Confusing Day Ever

b Angel125 /b- Dun, dun DAH! Yes, he was . . . let's see what happens next.  
  
b Jelli Bean /b- Read s'more and tell me what you think!!!  
  
bheysweet /b- Thanks, I am sometimes going out on a limb with her emotions, and I made the story go on longer than two chapters because it bothers me when they 'fall in love' in the first few chapters - it's so unrealistic and sometimes corny. Ha! I leave people hanging all the time!!! MWAHAHA . . . *ahem*  
  
bThe SimonCowel of Fanfiction /b- Yes, there is more soon. . . oh, there's more now! Aww. . . *pet the Draco*  
  
b dracosgurl_02 /b- Oh, thanks so much! I hope you like this chappy too!  
  
bDarkmoon of Shadows/b - Ohh! Good thing you got to read it and I hope you're reading this one now (that doesn't work unless I have a date or something, but pretend it does, a'ight?), but I hope you enjoy your vacay! Thank you and I will keep writing!!!  
  
bImperfectionist/b - Yes, me too! And YES! Poor Draco. . .  
  
bcherryplum11/b - Yes, I am proud of the 'updating queen' title. Is that a bad thing? I was under the impression people liked it!!! Thank you for your compliments, but 60 reviews is an amazing number for me. . . I took down a different story because it got 3, so just being in double digits rocks, but you're right. Reviews ROCK! I love you too!!! THANX!  
  
bPurple Spotted Hedwig /b- I agree, poor him, sorta. I will update. . . before NOW! =D  
  
bEleanor Branstone/b - Yes, something weird is happening, and I am proud to say it's all because of me!!!  
  
bFreakyfairy/b - oh, thanks so much!  
  
bWillowfairy /b- Yes, another cliffie! HA! You'll see what happens, . . . NOW!! Read!!!  
  
bLorien /b- I think I understood what you meant, but I'm not completely sure and I hope this chapter is alright!  
  
bSabby/b - Yes, I wish he'd be a little nicer too. . .  
  
bArtemis /b- Answers:  
  
1. As I said somewhere up there . . . *search* ah, here - "60 reviews is an amazing number for me", and that's the truth. Thank you so much though.  
  
2. My fics kinda hit me. Maybe a song or event triggered it, but this one came to me, details and all, when I was lying in bed about two weeks ago and I knew I had to write it. I love things that require thought and artistic ability (except drawing - my drawings might as well be chicken scrawls). This is my kind of thing.  
  
3. I'm not sure how much longer I intend to make this fic. . . depends on whether my reviews die or not. I hope to make it to 100 reviews though, that's my goal. How much longer do you WANT it to be?  
  
4. GREAT! Interviews rock! At least . . . over the internet they do . . .  
  
Thesaurus: Other words for 'great' - magnificent, wonderful, excellent, fantastic, amazing, cool, and terrific.  
  
Thanks so much.  
  
bBlueamber /b- You like Malfoy this way? Hmm . . . I'm sorry about that dude you talked about, that happened to me too. It's kinda hard to adjust to, isn't it? Please read more!!!  
  
Anyway, here's the usual, blah, blah, blah, oh, PLEASE REVIEW! I wanna make it to 100! Reviews! And, wow! Look at how many people reviewed. . . 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . MANYMANYMANY! YIPEE!  
  
Chapter 10 -  
  
Hermione didn't know what to do. She was utterly perplexed and bewildered out of her mind. Her mind was screaming something incoherently about "trick" and "unheard of" while the rest of her stood frozen in one place. She had always though she knew exactly what to do in every situation possibly imaginable as semi-possible, but this had been one of those situations that she had, up until now, thought was completely impossible.  
  
She didn't want to help him though, because he had always known how to make her feel bad. Why shouldn't she give him a taste of his own medicine? Why couldn't she be scornful and make him feel worse than he already was obviously feeling? It would be a nice awakening for him.  
  
She felt herself being torn in half. On one hand, it would be nice and he looked like he could use some serious help, but on the other hand, he deserved the pain now, because he had brought it on himself.  
  
Hermione had visions of herself smirking and sneering while it was finally him that was beaten up emotionally, finally him that was feeling the pain and wrath of words. He would realize the scars that words could leave.  
  
Yet, even as she though it, she knew that she could never do it. Sighing at her stupidity, she inhaled and steadied her voice to speak.  
  
". . . M-Draco?" Hermione said quietly as she watched him blink rapidly, blocking the tears from leaving his eyes. She knew what was going through his mind. He was trying to keep himself from crying because 'guys don't cry'.  
  
"Go away." Malfoy said, but it was extremely unforceful and Hermione felt no need to leave. It was like his last ditch attempt to make her leave, but she now refused to. She wanted to know what was wrong.  
  
"What . . . happened?" Hermione asked, and she surprised herself even more by sitting down next to him. She had abandoned thinking about things in a logical manner, because logic would have done her no good. Why was she sacrificing everything that she believed in to make someone that hates her feel better, even though she knew that it was likely to blow up in her face?  
  
Malfoy spoke, which shocked Hermione, but when he spoke, he spoke to the carpet, through his hands that were covering his face.  
  
"I've just got some . . . problems . . ."  
  
It was all Hermione could do from bursting out and saying, 'You BET you do, Malfoy.' She breathed out slowly and decided to press the issue, because she had made amazing progress. He was speaking to her.  
  
"Like . . . ?" Hermione said, indicating that she was expecting an answer, and for a few seconds she thought he hadn't heard her, but then he spoke again, his voice even quieter than before.  
  
"Nothing . . . GO AWAY." Malfoy said, yet it was still without force, as though he was hoping that she would just leave him there, but Hermione had no intentions of leaving. She was going to get to the bottom of this if it was the last thing she did, which it very well may be.  
  
"C'mon . . . you can tell me, alright?" Hermione said encouragingly and she could see the defeat in the way Malfoy sat.  
  
Malfoy sighed, as though still trying to decide whether he should say something or just completely ignore her, but she was winning.  
  
"I got in a fight." He said quietly and Hermione tried to register this, but she couldn't get it through her head.  
  
"With magic?" she asked stupidly and he shook his head.  
  
"With who?" Hermione asked, and, even though she had thought that she was making much progress, Malfoy once again fell silent. Apparently she had tried to go WAY too far, because she had lost all communication with him that she had had seconds before.  
  
"Please answer me." Hermione said, and she was completely unprepared for what happened next.  
  
Malfoy looked over at her and glared at her. It was a full strength glare, and she hadn't been expecting it. She stood up and glared right back at him, anger surging through her.  
  
Hermione forgot about trying to be nice. She had tried, and now she didn't want to try anymore. For years she had tried to tell herself that someday he might change, he might try to be nicer, but she was giving up. He was a JERK.  
  
"I'm sorry, your Majesty. I didn't realize I was bothering your daily kiss-my-ass routine. Your just like your father, a pig." Hermione huffed, and turned to walk away, but found herself, instead, staring into the face of Draco Malfoy. Not only that, but a livid Draco Malfoy.  
  
His face was close to hers and she could see the anger now taking every feature of his face. He was glaring at her like she had never been glared at before, and Hermione felt a prickle of fear go through her.  
  
"Don't ever talk about my family like that." He said. He was whispering so quietly that she almost had to lean closer to hear, but his voice had enough of a warning in it to tell her that would be a BAD move.  
  
"I will NEVER let anyone talk about my family like that." Malfoy continued, his voice dropping even lower, yet every syllable was accented with pure rage and anger. Hermione ignored this, because she was swelling with pure anger of her own.  
  
"Why not? Are you afraid it's true?" Hermione asked in a sardonic and sarcastic tone. Malfoy's eyes narrowed, although this move was un- frightening because of the brilliant pink color.  
  
"You should already know." He said, his voice even quieter yet, and with his words, Hermione lost all control of her anger and feelings, and she did what she had been avoiding for so long. She exploded.  
  
"HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW. MR. I'M-SO-MACHO-I-DON'T-NEED- ANYONE! YOU DON'T EVER TELL ANYONE ANYTHING, AND YOU COMMAND THEIR RESPECT AS THOUGH IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN CONTROL AND GAIN WITH A WAVE OF YOUR WAND. IT'S NOT TRUE YOU PIG. NOBODY RESPECTS YOU MALFOY THEY HATE YOU. I HATE YOU WITH A PASSION. AN INTENSE PASSION." Hermione yelled the words that she had been dying to say ever since she first saw Malfoy's pale face and silvery blonde hair in their first year. She wanted to scream more and more, but she had to breathe.  
  
Malfoy narrowed his eyes and she took this as a chance to continue her yellign fit, because now that she had started, she wanted to finish. She wanted to yell everything that she had kept to herself for so long.  
  
"YOU STRUT DOWN THE HALLS IN YOUR EXPENSIVE ROBES WITH YOUR GOONS FLANKING YOU AND YOU MAKE ME WANT TO BE SICK. YOU ALWAYS GLOAT ABOUT YOUR MONEY, AND YOUR LOOKS, AND YOUR PERFECT LIFE. I WOULD LIKE TO HEX YOU EVERY TIME I LAY EYES ON YOU." Hermione ranted and she was beginning to feel much better about herself as she was finally saying what she truly wanted.  
  
"I HATE YOU. YOU ARE AN EVIL MAN AND YOU'RE THE SAME AS YOUR FATHER, EXACTLY THE SAME. I WANT TO SPIT AT YOUR FEET AND CURSE YOU INTO ANOTHER WORLD SO I DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOU." Hermione would have continued yelling more things at Malfoy, but she caught sight of his face, and saw that it was contorted into a look nothing short of detestation.  
  
"You listen to me, you Mudblood." He said, as he grabbed some of her hair and drug her forward and brought her face close to his. He was speaking in an undertone, yet his anger didn't need to be shown in his tones, because it was present on every other part of him.  
  
"Don't you EVER say that I'm the same as my father." He said, and the look on his face was all she needed. It was obvious that he disliked being compared to his father, and there was something else about the way his face was twisted in anger. . . something. . .  
  
Hermione gasped.  
  
"He's the one that did this -" she gestured toward his face, and he grabbed her wrist. "To you, isn't he?"  
  
"Listen, Granger, you're meddling with things that are to be left alone, understand?" Malfoy said. "Because if you don't, I can curse you as much as you can curse me, and we'll see who's point wins."  
  
"Why don't you want to be compared to your father? Isn't he what you wanted to be?" Hermione spat at him, her anger still flooding through her, pumping through her veins, impaling her mind.  
  
"I will never be my father." Malfoy told her and he turned away from her, now staring into the fire.  
  
"Why?" Hermione asked, curiosity getting the better of her. "I always thought you wanted to be the evil jerk of the family. The Death Eater, loyal servant of Vol -" Malfoy whipped around and turned to face her again, hushing her with his own words again.  
  
"Don't say his name." He said quietly, and Hermione felt an urge to say it because he didn't want it, but didn't.  
  
"Shouldn't you be used to it, Junior Death Eater?" Hermione asked scornfully as she kicked the carpet.  
  
'I can't believe I'm stuck in here with a death eater,'  
  
"I don't want to be a Death Eater," Malfoy said, and Hermione froze and her head snapped up and she looked at Malfoy again. She HAD to of heard wrong. Something wasn't right about that.  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"I don't want to be a Death Eater." Malfoy repeated. "I don't want to be forced into service of the Dark Lord, I don't want to be ordered to do his bidding." Hermione looked at Malfoy in an odd fashion, and he sneered.  
  
"Now, now, now, don't go off with false ideas, Granger," he said, his sneer turning to a mocking smile and smirk. "I have no intentions of being a goody-goody. I have no need to save peoples' lives. They mean absolutely nothing to me." Malfoy walked over to a window and stared out it.  
  
Hermione made to move toward him, but stopped when he began talking again.  
  
"I just want people to leave me alone, alright? LEAVE ME ALONE. I don't want to be some cock and bull croonie wimp ass, and I'm not going to follow anyone else. I make my own rules and I'll blast the next stupid jerk that comes in my way. I'm not a servant or a wonderful 'right hand man'."  
  
Hermione didn't feel relieved or feel her stomach plummet, because she hadn't been expecting anything from a Malfoy, especially the one that was sitting in front of her. She had learned to expect the worst.  
  
"Then what are you?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I don't see why that matters to you."  
  
"Neither do I, but I want an answer." Hermione said truthfully. She didn't know why she was working so hard for an answer, but she still found that she wanted the answer.  
  
"Just leave me alone."  
  
"No." Hermione said, surprised at her own daring.  
  
"Then what do you want?" Malfoy asked, and Hermione could think of many sarcastic answers, but refrained from using them.  
  
"I want you to answer me." Hermione said without hesitation. She didn't like his attitude, but at least he wasn't crying, which made her more uncomfortable than anything else. She had not clue as of what she should have done to make him feel better and/or worse.  
  
"Fine." Malfoy said in bad temper.  
  
"Why aren't you getting along with your father and why do you look like you got beat up." It took Hermione a few seconds to realize how stupid she had been. The answer was right in front of her.  
  
Her mouth formed an 'O' and she slapped her hand to her mouth. Malfoy's face changed like a traffic light. It went from anger to confusion. Hermione watched his face before she spoke again.  
  
"I-I'm sorry. . .I didn't. . ." Hermione trailed off as she watched him sink into the couch again, looking weary and tired.  
  
"Look, if you don't want your father to hurt you, you can just tell the Ministry or Dumble -" Hermione was cut off by another change in Malfoy's mood. He had jumped up and was now so close to her that she could feel his breath on her face.  
  
"I won't go crying to some senile old man." Malfoy told her, and Hermione rolled her eyes is extreme exasperation.  
  
"You don't get it?" Hermione asked in awed tones.  
  
"I don't want to talk to you anymore." He said, his face still close to hers, and she could see his eyes, although pink by the spell, looking grey with sadness, although they were forced to a look of venom.  
  
"C'mon, there's gotta be something that you never wanted to tell anyone but you know you need to talk about." Hermione said probingly, and she was sure that she had gone too far when he didn't answer her at all.  
  
"I don't want to talk about anything with a Mudblood." He said, and Hermione had been expecting this reaction although it still made her angry.  
  
"Talk to SOMEONE. Maybe that COW, what was her name, Pansy Parkinotherpeople'slives, or something to that affect." Hermione said with scorn and she glared right back at Malfoy.  
  
"Look, I saved your arse out there, now you OWE it to me to talk to me." Hermione said, and Malfoy glared at her, but stared at her, apparently waiting for her to speak.  
  
"Why do you look so alone? Why were you crying?"  
  
"I wasn't crying." He said defiantly, but he spoke too quickly for her to even begin to believe him, and he sighed, sank down on the couch and buried his scarred face into his hands.  
  
Hermione didn't know what to expect, but she wasn't expecting what he said.  
  
"My mother wants to go to Italy to be spies for a rising empire that is supposedly stronger than the Dark Lord, my father wants to stay with You- Know-Who and beat the Italian people, my house is full of evil stuff that is going to be searched for by ministry officials, both of my parents are trying to make me choose one side of their argument as though I can settle everything, my mother is throwing things at my father when he doesn't agree with her, my father is beating me to vent his frustration, and my family is falling apart."  
  
Throughout this whole time, he was speaking so quietly that Hermione had to strain to hear, but she was shocked when she heard what he was saying.  
  
"I-I . . ." Hermione sputtered stupidly as she stared at Malfoy, not moving her feet.  
  
Slowly she gained movement of her body and walked over to him, but he jumped up and looked at her before she could get any closer to the couch. She looked back at him, waiting for something to happen.  
  
Malfoy looked like he was going to say something, but no words issued from his mouth, and with him this close she could see every feature on his face. Everything from his eyes to his blurry nose, because it was close to hers.  
  
Despite the fact that she hated him, she had to admit that he was no shoddy work. He was good looking, although she would never be caught dead admitting this to someone.  
  
More tears leaked from his eyes and he, determinedly, wiped them on the sleeve of his robes, as though hoping that she wouldn't notice. Again, she didn't know what to do - she was lost.  
  
They both stood there for a few seconds, their faces inches from each other, their eyes locked, Malfoy looking like she had never seen him before. Bewildered, lost, alone. Three things that he had worked all of his life to never feel, yet they were all written across his face in one brief minute.  
  
Before she knew what was happening, they were barely an inch apart, and Hermione didn't know what to do. She was completely lost, which really frightened Hermione, because she had never been lost at anything before, but here she was, helpless and confused.  
  
Her mind screamed for her to stop, but she couldn't control her body anymore than someone else could without magic, so she was forced to follow her body, wherever it decided it should go next.  
  
Their lips met for a brief second or two, although to some it may have seemed like forever, and then a bunch of things happened at all once.  
  
Peeves burst in and knocked over the desk while he was cackling, Hermione and Malfoy jumped apart, the sleeve of Hermione's robe caught fire as she leapt backward and collided with the fire, and someone was knocking on the door. Hermione took the opportunity to run when Malfoy wasn't looking.  
  
Thank god for Peeves.  
  
She turned and ran down the spiral stairs to the corridor outside of the Advanced Transfiguration dormitory, she had regained all movement abilities, and fled as quickly as she possibly to the Girls' dormitories in the Gryffindor common room where she was sure she would be alone, because everyone else was in classes.  
  
She flopped on her old bed in the dormitory, which, thankfully, was not used by anyone now, and her heart was beating quickly because of the run away from the Advanced Transfiguration dormitories and all the way to the Gryffindor tower, or perhaps it wasn't from the run. Her brain was still processing what happened roughly forty-five seconds ago in shock, as though she would suddenly wake up and realize that it was all a dream.  
  
It was unreal. She couldn't believe that minutes before . . . seconds ago. . .  
  
She and Malfoy had - They had - they -  
  
It was too much to think about. Hermione pulled a pillow over her head and hummed loudly, trying to block everything from her thoughts, but she couldn't stop thinking about it no matter how hard she tried. Had SHE kissed him, or had HE kissed her? She shivered as she thought about it.  
  
Hermione took a deep breath and screamed into the mattress as loud as she could. She repeated this process for a few seconds until her throat hurt and she just lay there, closing her eyes and imagining tha nothing happened, but it was no use.  
  
Moaning loudly, Hermione rolled over. It was neither. It was a total accident. Nothing was supposed to happen. Absolutely nothing DID happen. She had imagined it, because she was hallucinating, yes, that was it. Hallucinations. Yet, even as she thought it she knew it wasn't true.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione avoided leaving the room for the rest of the day. She was safe in the Gryffindor tower, and she wouldn't have to come out until the following day when Harry and Ron were back.  
  
Harry and Ron. . .  
  
What was she going to tell them if something happened to leak out around the school, as she was sure that it would. How could she explain what had happened? Suppose that she could pretend that it was all a lie?  
  
Moaning and groaning, Hermione lay back on the bed and fell into an unrestful slumber.  
  
A phoenix was sitting under a tree, the shadow of it not damaging the brilliance of its coat, and it was stroking its feathers.  
  
Then a lizard made its way over to the phoenix and crawled up its feathers with no objections from the bird.  
  
Hermione remembered vaguely wondering when it would eat the lizard . . .  
  
Or perhaps it was meet . . .  
  
She couldn't remember . . .  
  
She needed to sleep . . .  
  
Hermione drifted off, not knowing why she was having strange dreams, and not caring at the time.  
  
~+~  
  
A/N: Hey, ya'll! Please review, and I like the number of peoples that are reviewing! I THRIVE on reviews! I woke up one morning, checked it and it said, 'You have 11 new messages' and all of them were reviews! Hip Hip HORRAY!  
  
Please tell me what you think of my:  
  
detail  
  
events  
  
um . . .  
  
Did everything make sense?  
  
And . . .  
  
Do you still like the story?  
  
Thanks for reading, more to come ASAP and then some!  
  
Your finger dear author,  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	12. Life Continues

Blueamber - LOL! Alright, read much much more!  
  
Chinagurl - You shall see, you shall see. It may be *forever*, but you shall see!  
  
The SimonCowel of Fanfiction - OMG, thank you so much! I can't believe it, thanks!  
  
Darkmoon Shadows - Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. . . You get to read this chappy, YAY!!!  
  
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Chapter 11 -  
  
Although it was her last choice, Hermione had to resume her classes today, and she wasn't very happy about it. She was sure that Malfoy wouldn't let her live down what had happened, because SHE was sure that she wasn't going to ever let herself live it down.  
  
She didn't want it to have happened, and she had even thought about trying to go back in time to change it, but that could and would be extremely dangerous and she could end up killing herself, which wasn't looking like a bad choice currently.  
  
Her life as she knew it was over. She had so many people that she knew that would flip and freak out if something in her life didn't go 'the golden way' or 'the way it should be'. She didn't want to think about what other people would think and say, she didn't even know what SHE would think and say.  
  
She had spent hours in the early morning trying to invent lies to tell people when they spoke to her the next day about what had happened. None of the lies that she fabricated seemed to work though, unless the person had a pumpkin for a brain, and that meant that these would only work on Crabbe or Goyle.  
  
Then she had decided that she could try to make a disguise and be someone else, but the Polyjuice potion was both illegal and took far too long. She needed something that could come into affect that day. She tried to wear a wig and that hadn't worked very well because the green hair shined through like a beacon in the cold and clear night's sky, which aggravated Hermione more than before.  
  
She tugged at her hair and kicked the air, thinking of the day ahead of herself. She was GOING to die, and that was all there was to it. She probably should have written a will the day that she came to Hogwarts, because her life was bound to be lived prematurely at the rate she was going.  
  
Hermione sighed and made a silent promise to herself - she was never going to reach out to someone again. Every time she did another part of her heart got hacked off, and she didn't know how much more she could take. First her family, then her friends, now everything else. Her life was like a puzzle with all of the wrong pieces and she didn't want to try to do anything anymore.  
  
She couldn't imagine what she would have to do to avoid people that she knew, and she didn't know how she would react. How could she cope with people talking about her all the time? How would she cope with everything that would flood her sense and boggle her mind when everyone found out, as they were completely bound to as this was Hogwarts, and everything flew through the whole school so fast that people in China would know before the day was done.  
  
That barrier, that invisible wall that she had been working so hard not to use was now the easiest way to go. She would ignore her feeling, she would be painlessly oblivious to all anger and hurt, the pain would slide right off of her. She didn't want to feel anything anymore, because she was sure that it would hurt someone. What she failed to realize was that she was hurting herself.  
  
Hermione had no sense of herself, and this was going to cost her later on, although, you probably already guessed that.  
  
~+~  
  
Classes were in five minutes now, and Hermione had completely skipped eating breakfast as she had opted for the 'I'm not hungry' excuse and stay in bed, and she now had a feeling that she may never feel hungry again in her life, let alone regain the feeling in her hands - that was if it lasted much longer.  
  
She got dressed, not thinking about anything and not bothering to glance into the mirror. She didn't care how she looked today, all she wanted was to get today over with as soon as is was humanly possible, so that she could go somewhere to be alone and try to kill her mental images.  
  
She practically fell down the stairs as she stumbled down, walking like a zombie and not thinking much better than one herself.  
  
Hermione could feel her hands shaking and her knees trembling as she tried to look calm on her way to the Potions class even though she knew that she was fighting a gory and losing battle with herself. She was absent- mindedly twirling a lock of her hair around her finger and she was close to biting her fingernails off completely. She was so worried about what was going to happen that she didn't notice anything else that was happening.  
  
Rushed thoughts and irrational thoughts and panicky thoughts were all running through her head and the walk to the Potions classroom seemed to be so much longer than before, yet it ended so much sooner than she wanted it to.  
  
'What will I say if he tells the whole class?' Hermione wondered in utter panic. 'And what do I do if someone asks me a personal question?'  
  
Her worries were so stupid and chaotic that she had tried to Obliviate her memory twice, but had almost jabbed her eyes out with her wand both times and gave up trying to clear her memory as she also realized that she was trying to wipe her memory out before she had a class.  
  
While she had given up trying to clear her memory, she still worried about many things that she would have never worried about before.  
  
It finally got to the extreme worries such as,  
  
'What do I do if someone else kisses?'  
  
And the stupidest and most incomprehensible of all of her other worries and questions,  
  
'What do I do if someone looks at me?'  
  
By the time she was at the door to the Potions classroom she had driven herself into a tizzy and she couldn't concentrate on anything. Even though Snape was talking, she wasn't comprehending any of the words that were spewing out of his mouth, which wasn't a good thing because they were doing OWL practice work today and he was grading the potions accordingly.  
  
Although she was worried about whether Draco was going to say anything, she was more worried about what the news would trigger in Harry and Ron. She didn't know if they would explode in her face or Malfoy's, but she sincerely hoped it wasn't hers, because she didn't know if she could handle that.  
  
Her thoughts were drowned out by the worst news that she had ever been given by anybody.  
  
"I'm paring you into groups, Slytherin and Gryffindors together." Professor Snape said, and Hermione's thoughts vanished and were replaced by fear. What if she was with Crabbe or Goyle? Her grade would be HORRIBLE, and what if she was stuck with someone that she already knew hated her, like Millicent Bulstrode?  
  
And then panic took its root in her heart again as the worst 'what if' came into her mind. She felt her breath catch in her chest and she looked around desperately, hoping that nobody noticed how alarmed she was looking and acting. She was praying that she wouldn't be in the situation she feared.  
  
What would she do if she were stuck with -  
  
"Potter and Goyle," Professor Snape began assigning the pairs, and Hermione began paying rapt attention to who everyone was paired with. As long as she wasn't with . . .  
  
What if she was stuck with Malfoy?  
  
"Longbottom and Crabbe," Professor Snape continued, and Hermione continued her panic attack in stunned silence.  
  
"Finnigan and Bulstrode," Hermione let out a sigh of relief at the realization that she wasn't with Millicent, but panic soon took over as she realized that partners were being assigned and she was one of the few left that could be partnered with Malfoy.  
  
"Weasley and Malfoy," Professor Snape said, and nothing could be used to describe the immense feeling of relief that washed over Hermione as she realized that she wouldn't have to be with Malfoy. She was saved and she didn't care that she was saved at Ron's expense. All she knew was that she wasn't with Ron.  
  
Almost happy, Hermione awaited her partner.  
  
"Granger, and . . ." he didn't say anyone and Hermione looked around to see why. There wasn't much of a choice left and she could see that he was trying to find the worst possible partner to put with Hermione.  
  
"I think Prudie." Snape said and Hermione groaned. Not that Slytherin that she had to share a dormitory with.  
  
He smirked and she sneered in return. At least he wasn't a total moron, so she was pretty sure that she would get an okay grade even if she had to work with this disgusting slob.  
  
She sighed and walked over to the cabinet to grab her ingredients, but froze completely. She had just seen her hair.  
  
It was wavy and honey colored. Her hair was back to normal, Mudblood was no longer tattooed across her face and when she glanced at Malfoy, she realized that his silvery-blonde hair was falling across his head again and his eyes were back to their steely gray color.  
  
Why had their curse reset?  
  
For a minute, Hermione thought that the curse must have had a time limit when the voice of reason began hollering and screaming in her mind and she felt a blush creeping up her cheeks.  
  
They had kissed. That was why they were back to normal. It was the only possible explanation, and she settled for it.  
  
She snatched her ingredients and sauntered over to the table to work with the jerk that she had been assigned to and she began imagining what he would look like if she replaced his head with the head of a giraffe . . .  
  
~+~  
  
Thirty minutes into the lesson, Hermione's world crashed.  
  
She had been innocently working on her portion of the potion, when she heard a huge crash and she whipped around in time to see what had happened.  
  
When she saw, she felt her heart plummet.  
  
Ron, being the clumsy oaf that he was, had somehow managed to dump his potion on himself and the person directly behind him, who happened to be Hermione's partner, Prudie.  
  
Both of them were rushed to the hospital for the numerous antlers that were beginning to sprout where the potion had spilt on them.  
  
Hermione groaned, knowing that this potion was going to be hard to make on her own, because some things required the use of three hands at once, but she thought that she would somehow manage.  
  
Snape, however, had a very different approach, one that Hermione didn't like anymore than the 'on your own' approach. In fact, that was the approach that she quite much preferred.  
  
Snape, however, had no sentiment of her thoughts, and continued on his rampage of her life as she knew it.  
  
"Malfoy, you go join Granger as her partner had to leave to the hospital wing as well, so you two will be partners." Hermione had to work hard with her muscles not to cramp up and freeze.  
  
She HAD to work with Malfoy?  
  
As in, NOW?  
  
Hermione thunked her head on the table and whacked it a good few times so as to make sure that she would be acting like a complete drunk before she raised it, and came face to face with the spiteful face of Draco Malfoy. He took a breath to talk, but she beat him to it.  
  
"Don't talk to me, don't touch me, don't look at me, don't screw up the potion, don't think about me, don't be within twelve inches of me and we'll work fine." Hermione said, before he could get a word in edgewise, and she was very proud of herself.  
  
"Alright?" She asked, and she turned to look imploringly at him when he didn't answer. He stared at her, like she was a complete idiot.  
  
"Al. . . . Right . . ." she practically spelled out for him, but he didn't answer, and her temper began to get the better of her and her actions.  
  
"ALRIGHT?" She said again, this time a little louder.  
  
"ALRIGHT?!" she practically screamed at him, and she couldn't help but notice that he appeared to be smirking at her.  
  
"Weeeeeell?" He said, drawing out the syllable as though it were a sacred word or just a reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally long one.  
  
"WHAT?" Hermione asked, slightly annoyed now.  
  
"How am I supposed to answer you?" he asked her as though this were the most obvious thing in the world and she were a stupid two year old that he was trying to explain it to.  
  
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked and Malfoy rolled his eyes in an answer, evidently surprised at even HER stupidity.  
  
"You said, 'don't talk to me, don't look at me'. How do I ANSWER you, your Royal Pain-in-the-as-" Hermione slapped her hand over his mouth before he could finish his statement. She didn't need to be in any more trouble, even if he was Snape's favorite student, she didn't want to even take the chance.  
  
She brought her face close to his, whispering a deadly whisper into his ear, so the others wouldn't hear. She knew that they were watching.  
  
"Just make the potion and leave me alone." She removed her hand and continued her job.  
  
Together they sat in silence for a little while, just working together on their potion, and then, to Hermione's immense dislike, Draco spoke again, and it was the last thing she wanted him to say.  
  
Apparently he was annoyed about something, because his words were what younger kids would call 'angry words'.  
  
He turned and looked at her, smirking.  
  
"You know, Granger," he said, his familiar drawl back in his voice. "I knew that you liked me, and who could blame you?" he posed in a stupid way, as though expecting her to swoon.  
  
Hermione thought she was going to be sick.  
  
"But, you know, you didn't HAVE to jump me to tell me." He said this with a broad smirk on his face that Hermione wanted to smack off his face.  
  
'God, what does he have? PMS?' Hermione thought as she remembered his interesting mood swings in the past few times they'd been together.  
  
Anger was beginning to boil in her. How could he suggest that she liked him any more than he liked her? She knew that he hated her, and she was nothing short of hating him, of that she was sure, yet . . .  
  
There was something in his grey eyes . . .  
  
And the way his hair fell on his face . . .  
  
They both went back to working in silence, only speaking when they needed an ingredient or paper from the other. Hermione thought this was the best relationship - none whatsoever. She was uncomfortable sitting next to him.  
  
"Do you think I'll ever lose my looks?" he asked her thoughtfully as he admired himself in the reflection of his potion. Hermione rolled her eyes, and replied without bothering to spare a glance in his direction.  
  
"With a considerable amount of luck, yes." Hermione said dryly as she measured out her beetle's eyes and poured them into the potion, which was turning a light purple color. She could hear Draco scoff next to her.  
  
'Malfoy,' she reminded herself, although she knew that it did no good to try to remind herself of anything right now. Her brain was as good as shot.  
  
She kept glancing his direction despite what she told her eyes to do.  
  
She couldn't help but look at him. He wasn't shabby. His hair fell into his face while he chopped the crunchy. . . things . . . and his tongue was poking out between his lips. . .  
  
Hermione shook her head vigorously.  
  
Hermione didn't like being next to him. She no longer knew what to expect. One second he was sort of nice, next second he was insulting her. She almost preferred him as a permanent insulter. (A/N: is that a word?)  
  
Now . . . she didn't know what to think.  
  
'I REALLY think that he has PMS, or something VERY like it.'  
  
A/N: HA! Minor cliffie! Sorry it's shorter than the last one.  
  
I have BAAAAD news though. . .  
  
I won't be posting another chapter until Friday or (most likely) Saturday, because I have an overnight that I have to supervise. I will write as soon as possible, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter because I wrote it quickly. (About 75 minutes).  
  
Read and Review!!!  
  
The sacred "R"s.  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	13. Discoveries

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Chapter 12  
  
Despite Hermione's fervent efforts to keep any rumors from spreading, they spread around the school like wild fire. They were the craziest rumors that had been graced by the halls and corridors yet, so they, naturally, spread faster than the normal ones did.  
  
Some rumors made Hermione feel bad at one time or another, but as the days went on, they got steadily worse and worse so that her only safe haven was the hospital wing, and she wasn't allowed to hide in there anymore since Madam Pomfrey had found her – it had NOT been a pretty sight.  
  
The rumors became more frequent and as the more rumors began to fly around, the less people tried to hide their conversations from Hermione. She would be walking down the hall and people would openly point at Hermione and talk at the top of their voices, as though they wanted and needed to assure that she could hear every word that they said – like she didn't know what they were saying anyway. She had heard the rumors already.  
  
Some were somewhat close to the truth, but students had seemed to enjoy inventing more "interesting" details to put in between, making it the most interesting story ever.  
  
It finally got to the point that the story changed every time it was retold, and some of the rumors were very degrading, and she was now pictured as a slut of some sorts in the Hogwarts halls, and she didn't know how much longer she would be able to take the treatment without losing the last bits of confidence she had had in herself.  
  
Her first order of business was to wring Draco's neck, which was then to be followed by wringing Draco's neck, which was topped off with a shower of curses to the vital parts of his body – head, feet, etc.  
  
Her mind was thinking about every curse, spell and hex that could and would cause him pain, and she was mentally making a list, trying to see if there were enough to curse and hex every part of his body so that he would lie, writhing in pain, and maybe he would understand how she felt.  
  
Hermione continued storming down the hall as she imagined (with much satisfaction) his head exploding and spilling what little brains he had on all of the Slytherins that were crowded around him at all times, like twittering birds that were practice targets.  
  
Hermione was visibly steaming with the ultimate form of anger by the time that she had found the huge gang of Slytherins that were congregating by the third floor entrance to the dungeons, and she doubted that she could be any madder than she was right now as she watched them with grim satisfaction on her face when she remembered her hexes.  
  
She thought she had been mad before, but everything became worse when she rounded a corner and saw the sight in front of her.  
  
When she saw Malfoy laughing over something hysterically with the group of Slytherin bimbos and losers around him, acting out something, though she couldn't see what they were actually doing and acting out, she was sure that she had hit the root of all of her problems. Draco "Imma Jerk" Malfoy.  
  
She stormed over toward him with her robes swirling around her like they do in the horror movies before the hooded figure kills the unsuspecting child and leaves the scene without a trace, and was about to grab his shoulder when someone grabbed her own and began cooing in her ear.  
  
Hermione turned around and came face to face with a rather short and annoying, bubbly blonde girl that reminded her strongly of the portrait to the Advanced Transfiguration classroom.  
  
"Isn't he a total hottie?" the girl squealed, and Hermione tried hard not to wrinkle her nose at the thought of Malfoy being a hottie. He was somewhat good looking, but FAR from a hottie.  
  
"Um. . ." Hermione said, hoping the girl would leave her alone, but the girl continued swooning and cooing until Hermione wanted to strangle her.  
  
"Isn't his face like a FLOWER?!" the girl continued as though Hermione didn't exist except for the sole purpose of listening to her talk.  
  
"Yes." Hermione said dryly. "It's like a flower. A cauliflower."  
  
"I MEAN, I never thought that YOU would do THAT with Him, but, I completely understand, I just wish it had been me there with him. . ." the girl trailed off and Hermione had a good feeling that she knew what the girl was thinking.  
  
"HEY!" She yelled after her, but the girl didn't turn around or make any motion to show that she had heard Hermione.  
  
"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH HIM! I HATE HIM!" Hermione whipped around as she heard giggling and guffaws behind her, and Malfoy seemed to be having the time of his life watching Hermione suffer. Hermione lost her control around him again and strode toward him, her wand outstretched.  
  
"I'll kill you." She whispered as she advanced on him, her wand still pointing at her chest, her eyes blazing with anger, and there was the slightest look of fear of Malfoy's face at the sight of Hermione's wand, but he hid it momentarily and left her wondering whether she had imagined it, or if it had been real.  
  
"I'll never be afraid of a Mudblood." He said, and his friends sneered at her, but all she noticed was Malfoy.  
  
"I want you to STOP these rumors." She said, her wand aimed between his eyes and was resting on the top of his nose, and he was looking at it in a cross-eyed fashion, which made him look rather silly.  
  
"Aww, but Mudblood, it was raising your reputation. People think HIGHLY of you." He said, his sneer broadening to a large smirk that she felt the urge to rip off of his face completely.  
  
She opened her mouth to say something when another Slytherin decided that they should voice their opinion too.  
  
"Mudblood," they said, putting heavy emphasis on the MUD part of the word. "Don't you see how much more people will think of you if they think that Draco Malfoy likes you?"  
  
"He's right, Mudblood." Malfoy said, nodding his approval and his face made Hermione seethe with anger and suppressed rage. Narrowing her eyes, she glared at Malfoy through slits.  
  
"Dammit, Malfoy, STOP them." She said, her voice in a dull whisper, and he rolled his eyes at her and gave he a look of pity.  
  
"But the next time you'll meet someone like me –" he began, but Hermione had already cut in with her snappy comeback, and when she later reflected on it, she was quite happy with her comeback as well.  
  
"The next time I meet someone like YOU, it will have to be in a horrible nightmare." Hermione said and she sneered right back at him. She hated him more than anything at the moment.  
  
Yet, she couldn't stop thinking about him . . .  
  
Slapping herself mentally she turned to storm away in a huff before she lost what dignity she might have still possessed, and sighed when she heard Malfoy yelling after her.  
  
"See you in Advanced Transfiguration, Sweetie!" he said in a sugar- coated voice that made Hermione's hairs stand on end and gave her goose bumps.  
  
Did he just call her sweetie?  
  
Unwanted memories of their kiss flooded back to her mind as she once again tried to force her brain to believe that it had been an accident. Nothing had REALLY happened, it was just a freak accident because they were both thinking about other things and NOTHING was GOING to happen. Ever. Period.  
  
~+~  
  
By the time Advanced Transfiguration rolled around, she had completely forgotten what had happened earlier that day, but Malfoy wasn't going to let her be blissfully unaware of that morning for long, now, was he?  
  
Today in class they were still trying to force the incompetent students, which were supposed to have the highest grades in their houses, to do the spell that would help them find which animal they were to transfigure into.  
  
Hermione was beginning to have her doubts whether they would actually be able to transfigure them selves. None of the other students seemed to be able to use the spell, and she felt that she wouldn't have been able if it hadn't been for Malfoy.  
  
Why had he been able to use the spell and she couldn't use it without his help? Was he really THAT powerful? Was he more powerful than Hermione was, because she knew that her magic was not weak by any means. He had been able to conjure the spell, so did that mean that his magic was more powerful than what everyone had thought? And if it was, why didn't he get higher marks?  
  
Hermione ducked and was missed by inches. Someone had managed to throw their wand, which was on fire, toward her head, and when she looked over, she saw that they were a little preoccupied, because their robes were on fire.  
  
Hermione was beginning to doubt everything that she had thought she knew about Malfoy. Perhaps there was something to him besides snide remarks and psychotic nicknames. Maybe he had the potential to be someone that she had completely overlooked before.  
  
Hermione sat back and rested her head on her hand while she watched people accidentally hexing other people in the room, and she laughed to herself as she had mental images of things that she had seen that reminded her of what was right in front of her eyes and her thoughts slowly drifted to Malfoy, then to Harry and Ron. She didn't remember falling asleep.  
  
~+~  
  
A snake was winding through the grass, flinging its body sideways, its scales turning from silver to red and then back again, its eyes flashing brilliant pink, then receding back to grey.  
  
It turned and slithered sideways, and it began to grow . . .  
  
It was as big as a horse . . .  
  
Legs and wings were sprouting . . .  
  
A dragon sat where the snake had been and a long torrent of flames issued from its open mouth. . .  
  
The dragon lumbered down the grass and began to stumble. It fell, landing on four legs . . .  
  
The large figure began to shrink . . .  
  
The wings dwindled and the form began to melt away like a mass of clay, leaving a smaller figure where it had been.  
  
A small lizard whisked its tongue out from under its large head, the eyes bulged and the tail became curly, then straight. . .  
  
The lizard went up in smoke and flames, and a small phoenix was born from the ashes, although it grew far too fast to be a normal phoenix.  
  
The phoenix's tail started turning to fur, and the wings turned to legs.  
  
The whole form was becoming another creature . . .  
  
Shifting and molding the tumultuous mass into another creature of immense beauty and wonder . . .  
  
Left there in the grass, now scorched and trampled, was a small golden fox, but the fur appeared to have green grass stains.  
  
The stains were spreading through the whole fox, turning the whole thing green from tail to head. . .  
  
The fox howled and then mewed, and a cat was standing there, the cat was Crookshanks, Hermione was sure, because it had the same fur that covered the body, yet there was something completely different about it . . .  
  
The cat was swallowed up by the ground and Hermione could subconsciously see the trampled and burnt grass appeared to spell something.  
  
She climbed a tree, and when she looked down at it she saw two letters that were intertwined.  
  
D and H.  
  
She didn't remember anything after that as she drifted away . . .  
  
Glorious sleep . . .  
  
~+~  
  
Three classes into the second term and everyone could now almost perform the mediocre versions of the charm, so they could finally continue on in their Advanced Transfiguration classes.  
  
Sighing, Hermione pulled out her wand and muttered the charm, not expecting anything to happen because nothing had happened before that she could use to help her figure out what animal she wanted to be.  
  
"Anamagaii conjunctus mancy." Hermione muttered as she waved her wand, and she let a small gasp escape her lips despite what she was telling her mouth to do.  
  
Three smoky figures had appeared in front of her, and she looked around as though she was expecting someone else to notice them as well, but she noticed that nobody else seemed to be aware of their presence in the room, so Hermione turned back to them and looked closer at them.  
  
There were three animal-like figures, but at first she couldn't distinguish what they were, and another gasp, this time more audible, escaped her lips when she realized what the animals were.  
  
There, in front of her, were a cat, a golden fox, and a phoenix, all dancing around in front of her, and (she didn't know why she did) when she glanced at Malfoy she saw a similar look of horror written across his face too.  
  
Shaking the thought from her mind, she went back to staring at the smoky figures in front of her, and she wondered why they were so familiar, then it hit her like a ton of bricks.  
  
These were the animals from her dreams, which meant. . .  
  
Malfoy must have had the three animals that were with her animals in the dream.  
  
Had she been more concerned with what she was thinking, she probably would have wondered why it was Draco's animals that were in the dream with hers and not anyone else's, but, seeing as she was slightly panicking, she didn't think anything completely logical.  
  
Blindly, Hermione walked toward Malfoy and sat down next to him, completely ignoring how suspicious or odd this would look, and she turned to face him, noticing blandly that he seemed almost as shocked as she was.  
  
"Malf –" she stopped in the middle of calling him by his last name because it didn't make any sense anyway.  
  
"Draco," She corrected and the she went on. "are your animals. . . a snake, dragon and . . ." Hermione seemed almost reluctant to finish her sentence, afraid that her fears, although she didn't know what they were, would be returned.  
  
"And. . ." she said, still reluctant to say it.  
  
"A lizard." They both said at the same time, and they both stared at each other, completely oblivious to the fact that everyone in the room was staring at them. Both of them were utterly bewildered.  
  
"I had a dream. . ." Hermione said, trying to feebly explain how she knew, but trailing off after four words.  
  
"Me too . . ." he whispered back, and Hermione felt something like an electric shock run through her. Had he had the SAME dreams as her?  
  
"First I dreamed about the cat and your snake. . ." Hermione started, and she trailed off again, her eyes still locked with Malfoy's.  
  
"And the snake was around the cat's paw. . ." Malfoy continued.  
  
"But the colors in some things weren't right. . ." Hermione said, remembering how the colors of various things during the dreams had reflected the curses that they had put on each other before.  
  
"They were like the curses. . ." Malfoy said, his hand absentmindedly touching his hair, and despite herself, Hermione gasped.  
  
"But then I had the dream about the golden fox." Hermione said, trying to prove that he hadn't had the same dreams as her. She was desperate to prove that none of this was possible, but even as she thought, she could feel herself losing the argument and any belief in her thoughts as they stood.  
  
"And I was a dragon." Malfoy said, his voice quieter than Hermione had ever imagined that it could be. Both of them were shell-shocked, and if they hadn't been, so surprised by what they were discovering, they would have never been this normal around each other. No insults had flown yet, which was a miracle.  
  
"And then the phoenix. . ." Hermione said, still holding the thread of hope that he wouldn't be able to finish this sentence, but not believing it in the least.  
  
"And the lizard." He said, and Hermione felt her eyes widen. They HAD to have had the same dreams - that was the only way that you could explain what had just happened.  
  
The room was deadly silent.  
  
Malfoy and Hermione stared at each other, each willing the other to move, but showing no signs of anything other that pure astonishment and mystification. Something wasn't right. How could they both have had the same dreams?  
  
Professor McGonagall was, understandably, the first person recover from the shock of the things that happened moments before.  
  
"Granger, Malfoy, to the headmaster's office."  
  
A/N: Alright, so I was READY to post this a LONG time ago, yet fanfiction.net was dead, so I just now got the chance to post. Anyway. . .  
  
Do you want this fic to only have a few more chapters, or many more chapters, because I am at a point where what happens in the next fic could make this either last a few more chapters (5 or so) or many more (ten or more!) And I don't know what the readers want – ending, or more story?  
  
Please tell me so I can get writing.  
  
I hope to make it to MANY (100+) reviews, and I'll post ASAP!  
  
--Saquoia--  
  
By The Way. . .  
  
FANFICTION.NET IS BACK, YESYESYES! *dances* I AM SOOOOOO HAPPY!!!  
  
*ahem*  
  
Join me next time for:  
  
The Lamest Ending Notes, EVER. 


	14. The Stupid Chair

Lorien – Thanks very much, and I want to be an author someday, I just need to get a good idea first, then I'll take off! Please read more, a'ight?  
  
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I have a missing person's list! Ack! I need to make it to 100 reviews people! HEEELP! Who abducted the reviewers?!  
  
Anyway – please tell me if you have any information on these missing reviewers.  
  
Reward: Something. =D  
  
--Saquoia--  
  
Chapter 13  
  
What surprised Hermione the most was the fact that Malfoy made no sign of protesting to the idea of talking to Professor Dumbledore, despite everything that he had always said about him before. She didn't understand why he was now willing to go to the office of the man that his father hated above almost all others, but she didn't press the subject, even in her mind, because she was confused beyond recognition.  
  
She wasn't sure of anything anymore, because everything she had been sure of wasn't how she had thought it was.  
  
She had always thought that Harry and Ron would never turn on her, but they had, then she had never thought that she would be forced to live in the same dormitory with Draco Malfoy, but here she was, and she had NEVER EVER thought that she would have anything in common with Draco Malfoy, but here she was, going to see Dumbledore because they had been having the same dreams.  
  
The fact that she had been having the same dreams as him scared her too, because she was beginning to wonder whether this meant that they had some kind of 'connection' because that would mean that her mind could be connected to his and that wasn't something that she wanted to think about, because that would only be another reason for her and Malfoy to get along.  
  
Getting along with Malfoy was the last thing that she needed now and ever. He would be another reason for her life to fall into the downward spiral it was in and she was trying to avoid that.  
  
They both walked, grudgingly, into the headmaster's office, their shoulders bumping, and they both turned and glared at each other, which sent a wave of relief through Hermione's conscience. They still weren't getting along.  
  
As they entered the headmaster's room, though, Hermione's breath caught in her chest. It was amazing – the portraits and every instrument, wall, and shelf seemed to have been cleaned and it was more amazing than she remembered it ever being. Malfoy, however, didn't seem to share her sentiment. He wrinkled his nose and stared disdainfully at everything in the office, and Hermione felt quite annoyed with him. The least he could do was show a little respect for someone like Professor Dumbledore, because he was a very powerful wizard.  
  
Professor McGonagall motioned for them to sit down, and they both stared at the single chair in contempt.  
  
"Sit." Professor McGonagall said expectantly, and again, they both stared at the single chair that was there. There was no way that Hermione was going to sit down in the same chair as Draco Malfoy, although her attempts to communicate this urgent point to Professor McGonagall at this point were all completely lost and utterly pointless, as they seemed to fall upon deaf ears.  
  
Both of them glared at each other as though daring the other to be ruder and sit down, and when neither of them moved Professor McGonagall seemed to lose her maintained cool somewhat and she took a more commanding and angry tone that caught them off guard.  
  
"Alright, you two are model students, yet you aren't showing me anything to be proud of right now." Professor McGonagall glared at the pair of them, and they seemed to be slightly ashamed under her angry gaze, but their feelings faltered as she continued issuing her commands to the pair of them.  
  
"SIT." Professor McGonagall said, gesturing violently toward the single chair, and Hermione turned to glare at Malfoy as she watched him watching her. Neither of them had even showed signs of moving yet, and she doubted that she would be moving in any time at all, because she simply refused to. There was no way in the world that she would sit with Malfoy.  
  
Professor McGonagall had a pained expression on her face, as though she didn't want to do what she was about to, and she motioned for them to sit down again, the pained expression still on her face, but her commanding nature never leaving for a second.  
  
Hermione huffed and looked at Malfoy, who looked equally bewildered, which caught Hermione by surprised, because he NEVER looked bewildered, yet everything had been different lately so she didn't think very much of it. She was sure that her sanity was slipping away.  
  
Sighing, Professor McGonagall took out her wand and waved it as they both flinched, expecting a painful spell or a damaging curse, or at least something that would rival the suffering they had been made to face when she had put the spell on them to keep the curses they had given each other the same until they were nice. Hermione shuddered as she remembered this, and went back to trying not to remember it.  
  
Hermione's thoughts were ripped from her mind. They could both feel their legs walking them toward the chair. The spell lifted when they were both right by the front of the chair.  
  
Malfoy sat down as though this was what he had been intending to do and he was putting on a good show of pretending that he had intended to walk there by himself, but Hermione knew better than to believe it because she had been forced to walk in the same, stumbling manner as he had.  
  
With a huff, Hermione sat down too and scooted as far over on the chair as she could, but, seeing as this chair was made for a single person, it was a rather squashed fit and Hermione was uncomfortable being this close to Malfoy.  
  
Their hips were touching and she could smell something pleasant and almost like after-shave, so she was pretty sure that it wasn't Malfoy, because there was nothing pleasant about him at all.  
  
Despite what she had always told herself, she discovered that she liked being this close to Malfoy, she liked the fact that she was having some kind of body contact with a person, because she greatly lacked it.  
  
She enjoyed being next to him, and that was the last thing that she needed on her plate at the moment. Her world couldn't fall much lower, she realized, when she fell in love with Malfoy, but she wasn't in love with him, she didn't even LIKE him. Right. Right?  
  
Hermione was thankful for the interruption from her panicked thoughts by the entrance of Professor Dumbledore into the main part of his office. Her and Malfoy squirmed in the chair as though hoping to find a position where they wouldn't be touching, but it was a definitely losing battle.  
  
There was absolutely no room in the chair for them to scoot into.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, I have been expecting you for some time, you see, there is something I need to tell you." Professor Dumbledore said as Professor McGonagall walked briskly out of the room, leaving the two students and a professor in the room.  
  
"What?" Malfoy said rudely as he conjured a nail file, and Hermione sincerely hoped he was using that only to look annoying because he looked quite girly with a nail file in his hand.  
  
"Ah, yes, Mr. Malfoy, your father always enjoyed those sort of antics," Professor Dumbledore said calmly, and it looked as though he had predicted Malfoy's reaction right down to the last huff, Malfoy frowned, glared at Professor Dumbledore, and the nail file vanished seconds later.  
  
"I need to tell you two something of utmost importance." Professor Dumbledore said, and Hermione leaned slightly forward while Malfoy looked rather bored and annoyed, which in turn annoyed Hermione. He was a jerk.  
  
"Miss Granger," Professor Dumbledore began, "As you know, you have achieved high marks in Arithmacy, Care of Magical Creatures," Professor Dumbledore continued listing all of her current and past classes, achievements, awards, and positions that she had earned while in Hogwarts so far.  
  
There were many things that he was mentioning, things that she had forgotten about at some times, but was now happy to be hearing.  
  
Professor Dumbledore continued listing the achievements, and Hermione couldn't suppress a small smile as she remembered everything that she had earned, right up to the 145 percent in Muggle Studies last year.  
  
Hermione felt a bubble of pride surge through her, but it deflated slightly when she saw Malfoy produce a large, huge, yawn to show that he was extremely bored with the whole thing.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes but refrained from speaking because she figured that she was in enough trouble in her life as it was, and she didn't want to pick another fight with Malfoy, because she was sure that she was going to be in one with him soon anyway, so she was going to wait as long as possible.  
  
"And, Mr. Malfoy," Professor Dumbledore said, and he began to list Malfoy's achievements and awards, while it was Hermione's turn to yawn and look bored. She made it obvious and when she yawned she 'stretched' and smacked Malfoy in the face. He glared at her but didn't say anything.  
  
"AND I would say," Professor Dumbledore said in a slightly raised voice as he fought for their attention. "That you two are something special at this school."  
  
"I know that's right." Malfoy muttered so that only Hermione could hear him. She frowned and elbowed him in the ribs, which took very little movement seeing as she could almost be sitting in his lap.  
  
"I think that you two may very well be the most powerful magicians in this school." Professor Dumbledore said, and Malfoy stopped yawning and appeared to actually be paying attention to what Professor Dumbledore was saying.  
  
Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he rested the tips of his fingers together and stared imploringly at the pair of them, who were engrossed in shoving each other and elbowing at each other, occasionally pinching and they seemed to not notice the old professor that was staring at them, smiling.  
  
'He's SO annoying!' Hermione thought furiously as she shoved Malfoy's shoulder and his back his the arm of the chair before he shoved her back. Hermione was giving him a death glare and she wished he would shrivel up and die on the spot, because her life would become much easier.  
  
Professor Dumbledore continued smiling as he stared at the pair of them, knowing that they weren't ready to listen to what he had to say, but he also knew that they NEEDED to hear what he had to say, yet he was unsure of how to break the news to the students that were sitting in front of him.  
  
Hermione frowned at Malfoy and rolled her eyes as he stuck his tongue out at her. He was SO childish sometimes, and he wasn't even bothering to move his hair, which was hanging in his face and covering his eyes. Hermione shoved his head as far away from hers as it could go and turned, froze, and caught sight of Dumbledore, who was watching them with nothing short of vast amusement written across his old face as he watched the two of them.  
  
Feeling a blush creep up her cheeks, she elbowed Malfoy and sat, waiting for Professor Dumbledore to continue talking. She had stopped paying attention after he had begun talking about Malfoy's achievements, and she was sure that he must have said something that was important in the time that had elapsed.  
  
"As I was saying," Professor Dumbledore said with the air of great amusement present in his voice. "I think you two are far more powerful than you realize."  
  
"YOU don't realize how powerful I am," Malfoy said as he 'shined' his fingers on his robes and straightened his prefect badge. Hermione rolled her eyes and wanted to hit Malfoy. He was such a jerk sometimes – scratch that – all the time, yet he expected everyone to understand him.  
  
Hermione glanced at Dumbledore, to see his reaction, but Professor Dumbledore seemed to still be highly amused, and Hermione couldn't understand why – Malfoy had just completely insulted him, and here he was, smiling away as though this happened to him every day.  
  
"Professor. . ." Hermione began, but Professor Dumbledore held up a hand to stop her from speaking.  
  
"I realize that this may not be a wise choice, but I need to ask a favor of you two." Professor Dumbledore said, his amusement seeming to grow behind his eyes and his mouth was twitching.  
  
"What?" Malfoy asked in a distracted manner, which made it obvious that he wasn't listening to a word that Professor Dumbledore was saying.  
  
"I would like to ask if you two think you can work in close proximity with each other for a few months." Professor Dumbledore said, and Hermione immediately shook her head.  
  
"No. Nooooo. No, no, no. N-O. No." Hermione said violently as she shook her head in the same, violent manner, not bothering to look at the expression on Professor Dumbledore's face, because she was afraid that he would be laughing or at least broadly grinning, and she didn't think that she would be able to stand watching him enjoy what was happening.  
  
"Geez, Granger, no need to blind me with the mop on your head." Malfoy said as he shoved her hair out of his face. Hermione stuck her tongue out and went back to shaking her head vehemently.  
  
Professor Dumbledore smiled and waited for her to finish before he continued talking.  
  
"I understand that there are some, differences, to patch up, yet I think it would be unwise for me to ask anyone but you two." Professor Dumbledore said, and Hermione and Malfoy locked gazes for a minute before turning back to Professor Dumbledore, both looking shocked and panicky.  
  
"When you say work together, do you mean, TOGETHER?" Hermione asked, and Malfoy smacked his forehead.  
  
"DUH." He said with a slight edge to his voice and rolled his eyes. Hermione just then realized how stupid that had sounded, and Professor Dumbledore seemed to have understood what she was trying to say, which was a miracle because Hermione didn't really understand what she was trying to say herself, so she contented herself by turning to face Professor Dumbledore and wait to see what he was going to tell her, hoping it would be what she hoped, yet knowing it wouldn't.  
  
"I am afraid so, Miss Granger." Professor Dumbledore said, and then he turned to look at Malfoy. "Do you find this a problem, Mr. Malfoy?"  
  
"Yes." He said without any real enthusiasm, and he continued staring directly at Professor Dumbledore, as though this would make the decision different.  
  
"Oh, thanks." Hermione said sarcastically as she elbowed him hard in the ribs, as though this would make her problems go away, when it didn't, she realized that she felt better when she caused bodily harm, so she continued to elbow him in the ribs, and he elbowed her back.  
  
"I understand that there are some – problems – with having the two of you work together, but I need you two to do it." Professor Dumbledore said.  
  
"Can't we use Harry instead of Malfoy?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes, and then we can let Longbottom make our sleeping draft, and, with luck, it'll kill us." Malfoy said cynically, and Hermione rolled her eyes violently at Malfoy and almost hit him, but stopped at the last minute, deciding that this wouldn't help matters in the least, although she would have thoroughly enjoyed the process.  
  
"I'll make sure you drink it then." Hermione snapped.  
  
Professor Dumbledore continued on as though he were oblivious to anything that wasn't clearly directed toward him, although Hermione knew better than to assume anything of that nature.  
  
"I am sorry, Miss Granger, but to allow Mr. Potter to take Mr. Malfoy's place could lead to dire consequences and problems that we are not ready for, most of it having to do with his connection with Lord Voldemort." Malfoy flinched, and Hermione smirked with glee. She had become accustomed to hearing the name, but found pleasure in the fact that Malfoy was afraid of him.  
  
"Afraid of your half great-uncle twice removed?" Hermione asked, and Malfoy gave her a look of fleeting confusion before returning to his normal scowl. Hermione had achieved her goal – she had scared Malfoy.  
  
"Oh, so . . ." Hermione said, stalling while she attempted to think of a way out of working with Malfoy, but finding no alternative, she resigned herself to the fact that she would be stuck with Malfoy no matter what she did – it was as though it was 'meant to be' but she hated that phrase partly because it was so stupid to begin with and partly because it normally had to do with love, and she DID NOT love Malfoy. End of story.  
  
"I want to know now whether the two of you are willing to accept or not." Professor Dumbledore said, and Hermione and Malfoy both spoke at the same time.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"No."  
  
Both of them looked at each other, appalled by the others' choice. Hermioen couldn't believe Malfoy – it was only for a little while, and he would have said yes to anyone else, but since it was her, the answer was no. He was so conceited sometimes, and Hermione sighed angrily.  
  
"Jerk." Hermione mumbled so that only he could hear her.  
  
"Mudblood." He mumbled back, his voice barely audible.  
  
"Know-It-All." Malfoy said scornfully as he wrinkled his nose at the thought.  
  
"Conceited git." Hermione spat back at him, not feeling the need to be kind in any way, shape, or form.  
  
"Goody-goody."  
  
"Evil jack –"  
  
"Egghead." Malfoy said, interrupting her swearword with another insult.  
  
"Cauliflower face."  
  
"Potato ears." Malfoy said, and Hermione put a hand to her ear and brushed more hair behind it while she stuck her tongue out at Malfoy – something that she had been doing a lot around him.  
  
"Banana nose." Hermione said while she smiled with glee at the look on his face.  
  
"You know Granger, every girl has the right to be ugly, but you abuse the privilege." Malfoy said, a malicious smirk broadcast across his face.  
  
"You know, Malfoy, I would be busy feeling sorry for you because you're so ugly and unpleasant to look at, but I'm too busy feeling sorry for myself because I have to look at you." Hermione was now given the turn to smirk widely as Malfoy fought to think of another insult.  
  
"Eat dung, Granger." Malfoy said, and Hermione couldn't suppress her laughter much longer. Malfoy was completely unaware – or at least she ASSUMED that he was unaware – of the fact that he had just coined a favorite phrase of her friend, Ron Weasley.  
  
"No thanks."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger?" Professor Dumbledore said lightly and both of them whipped their heads to look at Professor Dumbledore. They had completely forgotten that they were in front of him, in his office, and all of the portraits around the room were whispering to each other in a sort of frenzy.  
  
"Do you two think that you can work together?" Professor Dumbledore asked, and both of them took a long and hard stare at each other, and then turned back to face the old man that was waiting, eyebrows inclined, eyes twinkling.  
  
"If he promises not to call me Mudblood." Hermione said, and she could almost feel the anger radiating off of Malfoy.  
  
"Only if she promises not to talk to me unless its urgent." Malfoy spat, and Hermione grinned. That was exactly how she had hoped everything would go, so she had absolutely no objections to the idea.  
  
"Fine with me." Hermione said, and Professor Dumbledore seemed to want to roll his eyes, but gave no sign of it.  
  
"Then I shall give you your assignment." Professor Dumbledore said, waiting for their reactions.  
  
"Yes." Hermione said even though there was no answer that was needed, and Professor Dumbledore pulled out a couple of files of papers and handed them Hermione and Malfoy.  
  
"Inside you will find the information that you need." Professor Dumbledore said, and then he paused for a minute as the two of them riffled through their papers, and then turned back to Professor Dumbledore.  
  
"You have permission to miss classes – up to three a day – and you need to work as quickly as possible." Professor Dumbledore continued, and Hermione could tell that this was urgent by his tone.  
  
Hermione continued looking at her papers while she listened to Professor Dumbledore talking, and she was taking in everything that they said while processing Professor Dumbledore's words at the same time. (Multitasking!).  
  
"I need you to examine things in the restricted section of the library, that is the only part that hasn't been searched. We need the information." Professor Dumbledore said, and Hermione did a double take at the heading on one of the papers.  
  
---  
  
Distances and Fractions in Space and Time Caused by Time Reversal Spells and Their Counterparts  
  
---  
  
Hermione tuned everything else out. Time fractions? Time REVERSAL spells? What exactly was Professor Dumbledore trying to make them do? Change history? Distort the space-time continuum?  
  
"Can you two do this?" Professor Dumbledore asked, and Hermione vaguely remembered nodding incoherently, and she was completely unaware of the fact that Professor Dumbledore and Malfoy were working out details and speaking at all. She had no memory of anything else but that paper.  
  
~+~  
  
A/N: So, what do you think? There's a bit more of a plot now, and there's still insults! So cool!  
  
Please read and review.  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	15. Author's Note

Does anyone know what is wrong with fanfiction.net? The quotations and apostrophes and screwed up, and I need to know what to do. How do I write the story without quotes or apostrophes? I am open to ANY suggestions.  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	16. An All Time Low

Chapter 14  
  
Although Hermione didn`t have much time to think about what she had read on the paper over the next few days, she couldn`t ignore it when she lay in her bed that night. Her and Malfoy had arranged to meet the next day during Potions, Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures – their first three classes. They would attend all of their classes after lunch and read over their extra materials that night. Alone. Apart. FAR apart, because they were sure to be biting each other`s heads off if they stayed together too long.  
  
Hermione was thoroughly overjoyed about missing Potions classes, although she didn`t want to know how much material she would be missing in Transfiguration classes. She hoped that Professor McGonagall would understand that it would be pointless to start research during Potions, and then stop for a Transfiguration class and then go back to their research, because it would disrupt everything and the amount of work finished would be miniscule.  
  
Hermione noticed that Malfoy was already gone from his bed, and didn`t feel sorry in the least because she knew it would be much more pleasant without him in the room to bother her about something stupid that would start another row.  
  
As Hermione pulled on her robes and prepared to spend nearly three hours with Malfoy, she tried to think of ways to be exceedingly nice to him, because she wasn`t enjoying their long, drawn-out fights that they frequently had when they were in the same room as one another, and she was open to absolutely any ideas whatsoever on how to stop them. It took more energy than she wanted to waste to argue with him, and it had to stop.  
  
Sighing, Hermione threw her book bag, which was full of stacks of parchment and numerous quills, over her shoulder. She had a feeling that she would be bringing many books back to the room for her to study at night as well. The more she could study without the presence of Malfoy bearing down upon her mind, the better.  
  
Hermione glided easily down the stairs and decided to skip breakfast and go straight to the library. As she came to the table next to the restricted section, she set her bag down and glanced over at the other table where Malfoy was already sitting, his hair falling into his eyes and his tongue poking out of his teeth as he read something from a worn old book.  
  
Hermione took a breath to say hi, but then she remembered what he had said about not wanting her to say anything other than the bare necessities, so she refrained from being polite. Being polite only wasted time.  
  
Hermione walked into a row of books and reached for a book when an arm pulled her away from the shelf and threw her out of the restricted section completely. She landed in a heap on the floor.  
  
Picking herself up, she found herself face to face with an angry- looking Madam Pince.  
  
``What do you think you`re doing?`` she demanded, and Hermione used all of her will power to not roll her eyes. What did she THINK that she was doing? Parasailing?  
  
``I was looking for books on my studies.`` Hermione said in what she hoped was a calm voice, because she was already frustrated and ten minutes were already wasted. It angered her more to see that Malfoy was showing no signs of getting up to help Hermione. She turned to look over at him and he didn't even acknowledge that she was here, which she thought was very rude. She made a mental note to be excruciatingly nasty to him.  
  
``Where is your note?`` she ordered and Hermione was surprised at her angry tone. Didn't Professor Dumbledore tell her that there would be two students using the Restricted Section?  
  
``Um. . . Professor Dumbledore should have –`` Hermione began, but Madam Pince interrupted her.  
  
``No note, no entrance.`` With that, Madam Pince stalked away, and Hermione rounded on Malfoy.  
  
``Why the hel –``  
  
``Language, Granger.`` Malfoy said icily and he didn't even bother to look up at her while he spoke, and instead kept his eyes glued on his book that he was reading.  
  
``God, Malfoy. You know, the least you could have done was backed me up. You`re acting like you don`t want to do this.`` Hermione said in a motherly fashion.  
  
``Gee, ya think?`` Malfoy said sarcastically as he turned the page, still not bothering to look up at her face for one second. Hermione felt anger bubbling beneath the surface. How could he stand to be this way? Didn`t he have any feelings at all?  
  
``What`s your problem?`` Hermione asked him angrily as she glared at him – not that he would notice in the slightest anyway, but it made her feel better to do it anyway, knowing that she could continue to glare no matter what.  
  
``E=mc2.`` Malfoy said, and Hermione stared at him.  
  
``O. . . Kay. . .`` she said slowly, wondering why he was reciting muggle logic while he was arguing with her, but she decided not to answer this. He was probably winding her up.  
  
``Well, if we`re not going to get any work done, then I need to work on my Muggle Studies work.`` Hermione said, and Malfoy looked up at her for the first time, one eyebrow raised inquisitively.  
  
``How is it, Granger,`` he stressed her last name in order to prove that he was following his part of the deal and not calling her mudblood or any other foul terms.  
  
``That you`re so stupid that you need to study about muggles, even though you LIVE with them?`` Malfoy asked incredulously, and Hermione almost agreed with his logic. ALMOST, that is.  
  
``I prefer to study things from a wizarding point of view.`` Hermione said matter-of-factly as she brushed her robes off.  
  
``Whatever.`` Malfoy muttered and returned to his book.  
  
Hermione, deciding to try to get into the Restricted Section of the library again, walked purposely over to it and began to pull out books. Before Madam Pince could see her, she dashed out and shoved the books in her bag as she muttered an enlargement charm. She was going to be taking many books with her.  
  
~+~  
  
Over the next few hours Malfoy sat in the corner table, reading his book, and Hermione continued to dash in and out of the shelves, grabbing books that looked as though they would be needed, and shoved them into her bag, which was now becoming increasingly heavy.  
  
``Alright.`` Hermione said at last, as she was sure she had gotten quite enough books for a while. "We need to meet somewhere," she continued, and when Malfoy didn't show her any sign that he was listening, she snatched his book away.  
  
``OKAY?`` she said, and he blinked at her with a blank look in his eyes.  
  
``Malfoy?`` she asked quieter, and he continued to stare and blink at her, as though he were lost or something.  
  
``What`s my name?`` he asked in a bubbly voice and he stared at her while he awaited her answer.  
  
``Shut up and start packing your stuff, Malfoy.`` Hermione said as she rolled her eyes and began to walk away.  
  
``Is that my name?`` he asked in a slightly raised voice as she walked away. She stopped and whipped around. What on EARTH was he trying to pull?  
  
``Your last name, yes.`` Hermione said, and he gave her another blank stare. She was sure that he was trying to trick her and make her appear stupid now, and she wasn`t going to fall for it, she wasn`t THAT stupid, at least, not anymore. Perhaps she would have fallen for something like this when she was a first year, but she had gained something that she liked to call intelligence and experience.  
  
``Who are you?`` he asked, and Hermione looked at him as though he were crazy. WHAT was he doing? Trying to make her look like a total fool?  
  
``Hermione Granger . . .`` she said slowly  
  
``You`re pretty.`` He said, and she felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. Even if Malfoy was obviously NOT feeling alright, she didn`t ever expect to hear those words, or anything like them, ever coming out of his mouth. EVER.  
  
``Um . . . I think you need to go see Madam Pomfrey.`` She said, still trying to figure out what was wrong with him.  
  
``Ohh, wait a minute.`` Malfoy held his head for a minute and then blinked a few times.  
  
``I remember what I was thinking about a few minutes ago when I was reading my book.`` Malfoy said, and Hermione told him to continue, hoping that this would help them figure out what was wrong with him.  
  
``You`re hot and I wish you were a pureblood so that I could date you.`` Malfoy said triumphantly, and Hermione stared at him. Something was DEFINETELY wrong with him, now she was sure.  
  
``Um . . . Can I have the book?`` she asked, hoping to distract him and find some answer as to why he was suddenly being scary. She had always thought she wanted Malfoy to be a nice guy, but now that it appeared to be happening, she decided that she preferred him as a mean jerk.  
  
Hermione opened the book and flipped through the pages. There were blank pages until she hit a page near the middle. There was a picture of Malfoy and it was glaring at her through the frame. The mouth appeared to be talking, but she couldn't hear anything. She looked at it in dismay for a second, and then looked at the empty page next to it, when the picture gestured violently, and saw words forming across the page in Malfoy's loopy writing.  
  
[Damn you Granger! When I find out what you did to me, I`ll curse you so bad that you`ll wish you were dead, ya hear me? Dead.]  
  
Hermione smirked at the thought.  
  
[Let me out of here.]  
  
Hermione`s smirk vanished. She didn't even know how he had gotten in there in the first place. And how could he be in there if she was talking to him. Malfoy was sitting next to her, and Malfoy was talking to her through the little book as well, which made no sense at all.  
  
``Well,`` Hermione said slowly as she looked around to make sure that nobody else was around. She didn't need anyone else to be involved.  
  
``Truth is, I didn`t do anything.`` She muttered, and the Malfoy in the picture scowled at her.  
  
[Like I believe that, MUDBLOOD.]  
  
``Just for that, I`m not going to help you.`` Hermione said, and she made to close the book, but stopped when words began flying across the paper.  
  
[You can`t just . . . just . . . CLOSE the book! That`s unfair and rude! MUDBLOOD.]  
  
Hermione simply shook her head and began to close the book again when more words flew across the paper in a flurry of scribbles and chicken scratches and Hermione could barely read the words that Malfoy had written.  
  
[Look, I`m – what I mean is – I think – shit. Sorry, alright Granger? S-O-R-R-Y.] the words were flying across the page rapidly. Hermione's smirk grew – she had just made a Malfoy apologize to a muggleborn.  
  
``Are you always as pretty as you are now?`` Malfoy asked her, and she jumped. She had forgotten that he was still out with her (somewhat) while she had been talking to him in the book.  
  
When Hermione glanced back at the book, there was a block of letters scribbled on the page, and more were being added as she watched.  
  
[What the HELL did he just. . . how the . . . MAKE IT STOOOOOOP! WHAT ARE YOU MAKING ME DO?! GRANGER, SHUT HIM UP! THEN GET ME OUT OF HERE! NOW! OUT! OUTOUTOUT! DON`T BELIEVE ANYTHING THAT HE SAYS, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU CURSED HIM!]  
  
Hermione simply smirked at the page. The Malfoy that was out with her was obviously saying things that the Malfoy in the book wasn't too fond of.  
  
When she turned to watch the Malfoy that wasn't in the book, she began to realize that she didn't like him that much either, or at least not the habits he seemed to have picked up. He was chewing on one of her quills and scribbling over her notes. Something needed to be done. It was as though the Malfoy out here had been transferred back in his childhood, but his body was the same as a fifteen year old.  
  
Hermione snapped the book shut and looked at the cover.  
  
It said:  
  
Malfoy Family Soul ReCaption of the Younger Years  
  
Hermione stared at the words. Was recaption even a word? And what on earth was `recaption of younger years`?  
  
Hermione`s mind was blank - something she never had to worry about normally - and she needed to think of something. If she didn`t do anything, then this could lead to big problems that would never be fixed.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione was continuing to figure out what had happened to Malfoy that day, and she wasn't any closer to the answer than when she had started. None of the books that she read even MENTIONED anything like the problem that Malfoy had, and if she didn`t figure something out soon, she would be discovered.  
  
In order to try to disguise the fact that Malfoy wasn`t REALLY there, she had cast a memory charm on him in front of his friends so they would think that he was just losing his memory of everything, not that he was about two years old.  
  
Classes were another problem.  
  
She had to DO his homework partially, because she would talk to him in the book to get his exact wording, then she would copy it down onto his parchment - while she took great care to make sure that it looked like his writing - and then she would make the `Malfoy` that was outside of the book turn the papers in.  
  
All of this added work was starting to take its toll on Hermione. She had bags under her eyes and yawned frequently. She had even fallen asleep while she was trying to find a cure for Malfoy`s problem.  
  
And, even though Hermione was doing all of this extra work for him, the Malfoy in the book was relentless with his insults. He insulted everything about her, and she was getting fed up with everything, and she exploded that night when she was doing his potions essay.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione was copying down some of his answers when he insulted her.  
  
[Granger, you`re getting uglier.]  
  
It took Hermione a second to realize that he had written something, but when he did, her anger took the better of her.  
  
``You know what? I`ve been working my ass off trying to keep YOUR STUPID grades up, and then you insult me? I`ve been doing TWICE the work of everyone else trying to make it look like nothing happened to you, and DON`T write that, you and I both know that it`s YOUR DAMN FAULT that you are stuck in the stupid book, and I DON`T CARE anymore. Stay in there for eternity. I`ll BURN the book when I want to, alright? So have a GREAT TIME while your grades fall and you DIE.  
  
`` AND YOU DESERVE TO DIE!`` she continued. Although she should have been screaming with all of the anger present, she was barely whispering, her voice colder than ice, and her eyes glaring with white-hot intensity.  
  
``You`re just an ungrateful pig that doesn`t care how many lives you ruin as long as yours if perfect. Do you have any idea what people really think of you? The only people that DON`T insult you are the Slytherin morons that hang out with you.`` Hermione glared at Malfoy`s picture with hate that had been building up for quite some time.  
  
``Everyone HATES you. You exist to be our hells on earth, and I`m sick of it. I can`t wait to see what Hogwarts will be like without YOU RUINING IT.`` Huffing Hermione took the book and drug it to her face.  
  
``I hate you and everything about you. I hate anything that REMINDS me of you. You are scum, not me, YOU. You poison the earth and eat away joy. You`re worse than a dementor, because you leave your victims to suffer in pain. I hate you, Draco Malfoy.``  
  
Hermione picked up her book bag, cast a last contemptuous glance at the book, and chucked it in the fire.  
  
``I hate you.`` Hermione said again and she stormed out of the Library and back to the Advanced Transfiguration dormitory with heat visually radiating off of her body. Nobody spoke to her in the halls and nobody bothered her when she entered the dormitory. Professor McGonagall excused her from the class and told her that Mr. Malfoy was in the dormitory as well.  
  
Hermione laughed sardonically and stormed up the stairs.  
  
She would never have to deal with Malfoy again.  
  
~+~  
  
A/N: Alright, so who expected that?  
  
I am sorry about the text, I had to use `` for quotes and ` for apostrophies, because it is better than " and ' . . . right? I know it`s weird, but it works.  
  
Please R/R!  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	17. Not Gone for Good

(Chapter 15 reviews)  
  
Lisa Ou – Thank you very much!!!  
  
Lorien – Thank you for the suggestion, but I think it would bother me.  
  
Liz – thank you for the suggestion as well, but as I`ve said before, I think that that would bother me and some of the reviewers, because that is harder for me to read.  
  
Lyzz – thanks so much!  
  
Jamie – Thank you very much! (I say that too much, don`t I?)  
  
~The Simon Cowell of Fanfiction.net~ - Thank you for the suggestion, I completely forgot about `` and `. =D  
  
---  
  
(Chapter 16 reviews)  
  
blueamber – lol! I confused you, didn`t I?  
  
Freakyfairy – Actually, I can`t take credit for the accent marks, the credit goes to ~The Simon Cowell of Fanfiction.net~. They suggested it.  
  
chintamani – Thank you for reviewing, I like the touch too, and yes, you make sense! =D  
  
willowfairy – I completely understand if you don`t review, my friend from Japan is here, so I am taking longer to write too.  
  
Tabii – I continued!!! I continued!!!  
  
I want to apologize because I didn`t personally answer all of the reviews on the last chapter. I won`t try to catch up, but I will answer them from now on.  
  
Also. . .  
  
THANKS FOR HELPING ME MAKE IT TO 100+ REVIEWS! I AM HAAAPPY!!  
  
This is the most reviews I have ever gotten (most before this was 31).  
  
Thanks again!  
  
--Saquoia--  
  
Chapter 15 –  
  
Hermione never once thought about her `Malfoy in the fire` trick, and she was quite pleased with herself right now, because she had finally solved her problems and her life was becoming much more enjoyable.  
  
For years she had always tried to tell people that he wasn`t *that bad* and that there was some good in him. She had tried to be kind to him, to show him something other than hate, she had tried to understand why he was so cold, but she had given up. Perhaps some fire would warm his cold heart and he needed to be used to the fire, considering where he was going next.  
  
She simply didn`t care anymore.  
  
Hermione got dressed cheerfully. The other Slytherin had dropped out of the program when she wasn`t there, so the only person she had to deal with was the Hufflepuff boy, because Malfoy (or at least his body) was at the hospital wing with a few dozen people that were trying to sort out his supposed `memory loss` (nobody had figured out what had really happened, and thought his problem could be fixed, when it probably couldn`t).  
  
She even felt cheerful when she went down to the cold and dark dungeons to her Potions class, which was a definite first for her and she felt as though she were finally happy.  
  
Her emotions were all mixed up and she didn`t understand why she was happy, but she didn`t want to push the envelope. The fact that she was happy was quite enough for her at the moment. She didn`t need anything else.  
  
All she had to do was appear happy and feel happy while it solved all of her problems, right? Well, that`s what she thought right now anyway.  
  
Skipping lightly down the hall, Hermione caught up with Harry and Ron, and they both turned to look at her, and to her immense surprise, they turned and smiled at her and slowed down to let her walk with them.  
  
``Hey, Hermione,`` Ron said, and Hermione looked at him. It was then that she realized that she had missed them for a long time.  
  
``What did you do to Malfoy? I didn`t hear the whole story.`` Hermione frowned slightly, but decided that she could tell them anyway, it wasn`t like something like that would be a secret for much longer anyway.  
  
``Well . . .`` Hermione started, and she started relaying everything that had happened, and with every word the smirks on Harry and Rons` face were growing and growing and growing. They were glowing with pleasure by the time she had finished her story.  
  
``Way to go Hermione!`` Ron said.  
  
``Yeah, `Mione!`` Harry said, and Hermione didn`t like the way that name sounded when Harry said it. It was like he was stating that she was his, and she didn`t like that at all.  
  
Hermione let them walk ahead and she hung back.  
  
~+~  
  
***Subconscious Guilt***  
  
[] = Angel side, {} = Devil side, () = Hermione`s regular thoughts.  
  
[You killed him, and you know it. Go confess.]  
  
{What the heck are you talkin` about? She didn`t do anything.}  
  
[You and I both know she did, and she does too, doesn`t she?]  
  
(I-)  
  
{What are you TALKING ABOUT, You WHITE dress wearing, GUITAR playing hippie?}  
  
[It`s a robe, it`s a harp, and I am NOT a hippie.]  
  
(SHUT UP, BOTH YOU!)  
  
{Don`t listen to her, she`s a nutcase. Everyone knows that you did NOTHING wrong. It was anger, and nobody can blame you.}  
  
[Oh yes they can, the can-]  
  
{Shut up.}  
  
[YOU shut up.]  
  
{I said it first!}  
  
[Well I am good, and good triumphs over evil.]  
  
{This is the real world, Sweetie.}  
  
(SHUUUUT UP!!!)  
  
[Just go tell someone the truth and you shall be set free.]  
  
{Whatever. Stop preachin` and bring the pizza. Tell and you`ll be framed for something you aren`t responsible for, honey.}  
  
(I am going mental.)  
  
With this final thought, Hermione drifted to other thoughts.  
  
***End Subconscious Guilt***  
  
~+~  
  
Over the next few days, Hermione couldn't believe how happy she was. There was nothing for her to dislike. Harry and Ron ignored her most of the time, but that was only because she didn`t know anything about the `secret tactics` for the Gryffindor Quiddich team, so she didn`t mind. The only thing she wanted was someone to really talk to. She wanted to talk about lots of things, but she decided not to worry about that.  
  
Her grades were doing fine once again, like they hadn`t in a long very time, her relationships with other people were great, and there was no bad news from home, meaning that things could finally be looking up for Hermione and that she might have a good time for the first time in about a year without her enemies breathing down her neck and her grief soaking her feelings.  
  
She felt happy, and she didn`t want to lose that feeling.  
  
~+~  
  
At Charms class that next day, her thoughts drifted to Malfoy, and she finally decided that it was time to look at how she was really feeling, even though she had been trying not to for quite some time.  
  
Hermione began to feel less blissfully happy and bright, and she could feel that she was beginning to need things that she hadn`t realized she had needed for a long time, but she needed to fill the void in her heart, but that wasn`t all that she needed in her life right now.  
  
What she really needed was someone that she could relate to and someone that would be able to understand what she was going through right now and could appreciate everything that she was thinking about and feeling in her heart, but she knew that there wasn`t anyone like that around Hogwarts School, so she might as well give up her dreaming.  
  
Hermione`s classes seemed to all blend together and become one giant blur in her memory. She was losing her concentration on everything and she couldn`t figure out why. Her thoughts were drifting, and her mind wouldn`t focus on classes or homework or grades or duties. It seemed like Hermione wasn`t willing to pay attention to anything anymore. She just wouldn`t.  
  
At night, she couldn`t stop thinking about Malfoy, and during the day, Draco - the two year old self - wasn`t making matters any better. He was a constant reminder that she had changed Draco Malfoy for good.  
  
Things were starting to change and her happiness was fading away even though she wasn`t ready to admit that it was. She could continue pretending, couldn`t she? She didn`t need anything.  
  
~+~  
  
Despite the fact that she was top student and very busy, her guilt was beginning to catch up with her, and the reality of what she had done to Malfoy was beginning to set in completely. She couldn`t ignore it anymore.  
  
She had basically killed him, and there was nothing that she could do to change her choice.  
  
The thought seemed to echo through her mind. She had killed him . . . she had killed Malfoy . . . she had banished him . . . somewhat anyway. There still was a two-year-old numbskull that was in a fifteen-year-old body.  
  
She knew that she would be in more trouble when other people realized what had really happened.  
  
Would she be able to run away before they noticed? Maybe she could skip the town and run away to China or some other place that wasn`t in Europe. She needed to be far away from this. From everything.  
  
As she lay down to sleep that night, thoughts and dreams of Malfoy and what she had done constantly haunted her conscience. She knew that she would never be able to forget what she had done because the guilt would haunt her for the rest of her life until the day she died.  
  
~+~  
  
She skipped breakfast and walked right out to the Hogwarts grounds. Her guilt wasn`t willing to leave her alone, and she was feeling it eat her up from inside. She didn`t know how much more she could take.  
  
Hermione flopped down and covered her face in her arms while being on the ground and moaned. Why had she decided to throw that book in the fire? And what about what it had said?  
  
` Malfoy Family Soul ReCaption of the Younger Years`  
  
What on earth did that mean?  
  
``Hermione?`` Hermione jumped and whipped around, and smiled slightly when she saw that it was Draco (that`s what she calls the 2-year-old version).  
  
``Hey,`` she said, and didn`t turn around or make any motions to move. Now that he was here, she felt even more guilty than before. How could she have done this to him? Even if she hated him, he was still human and still had every right as she did, didn`t he?  
  
``Why don`t you talk to me, and when you used to, why were you so angry when you talked to me?`` He asked Hermione, and she didn`t know how to answer. She was beginning to think that while he may speak like a two- year-old, he understood everything that had happened in the past like they were memories.  
  
``It`s kinda hard to explain.`` Hermione said, tryign to avoid having to talk to him, but it was fruitless.  
  
Hermione rolled over and buried her face in her arms again, as though wishing that she could tune out his voice and everything that was causing her pain, but she knew that she couldn`t.  
  
``I don`t think I should talk to you right now.`` Hermione said, and she was barely listening for the reply.  
  
``Please talk to me. I`m alone.`` Hermione stopped breathing, although she hadn`t realized it yet.  
  
He said he was alone. Is that what Draco Malfoy had been feeling for his whole life? Is that why he was such a jerk and an insufferable git?  
  
``Well, I-``  
  
``Nobody cares about me.`` Draco continued, and Hermione felt herself being drawn in. How come Malfoy had never talked to someone before? Didn`t he have any friends to talk to?  
  
After a brief, 30 second, analysis of what she had thought, she realized how stupid that thought really was. Draco Malfoy didn`t have any friends, he just had `groupies` and `cronies`.  
  
``Well, maybe if you weren`t such a jerk.`` Hermione said and the words had burst from her mouth before she could stop them. She had forgotten that she wasn`t talking to the Draco Malfoy that she had become accustomed to.  
  
Young Draco`s face began to contort into a look of pain, and he stood up. It was like his face was meshing with something else, and it didn`t look like pain anymore, it appeared to be a look between like and dislike, scrambled into one. He stumbled backward.  
  
``What. . .?`` Hermione said, trailing off as she watched.  
  
``Cast a spell.`` A voice said, and it was coming from Draco, but it sounded nothing like him.  
  
``Whabba, duhba, huh?`` Hermione muttered stupidly as she tried to figure out what spell she was supposed to be casting. She was, not for the first time, completely lost in the moment.  
  
``Say, `Peie courivere`!`` the voice yelled, and Hermione distantly remembered this phrase, but she couldn`t think of where at the moment, her mind was too boggled to be logical.  
  
``Peie courivere!`` Hermione said feebly and there was a huge green and purple flash and the form of Draco Malfoy lay on the ground, unmoving.  
  
Hermione didn`t know what to do. Was he really hurt, or was he pretending? Slowly, she crept over to him, and she reached her hand out, as though she were afraid of what he might do or when he might strike.  
  
Her hand was shaking and she reached out to touch his neck to see if he had a pulse when his hand shot out and forced hers down.  
  
Shocked by this sudden movement, Hermione leapt backward and glared at him as he slowly pushed himself up.  
  
``Don`t touch me, Granger.`` He said, and Hermione knew that her innocent friend that had been here minutes before, was gone.  
  
``You could contaminate me.`` he continued, and Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
``Glad to see you`re alright.`` She said sarcastically.  
  
``Don`t come near me again, and I don`t forgive you for anything.``  
  
Hermione scoffed. He was suck a git, and he probably didn`t even realize how much of a total git that he really was. He thought he was a perfect gentleman, but Hermione thought otherwise.  
  
``You know what-`` Hermione started, but Crookshanks came darting across the lawn and caused Malfoy to trip. He swore and drug himself up again. Hermione noticed that he was bleeding, and she no longer had the urge to help him. He wasn`t a helpless child in her eyes anymore - he was a heartless jerk.  
  
``I`m gonna kill that cat.`` Malfoy muttered, and Hermione glared at him.  
  
``I have a suggestion for you.`` Hermione said.  
  
``What?`` he said sardonically and she knew that he wasn`t really listening to anything that she said, but she was going to talk anyway.  
  
``You should do some soul-searching, because, you need one.`` With that she stood up and swept back into the Hogwarts castle.  
  
~+~  
  
What do you think? I wrote this chappy a little quickly, so don`t be too mean!!!  
  
Next chapter may be in 2 days, we`ll have to see.  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	18. Why

Lorien : I know that the last chapter wasn`t that interesting, but this one will be, believe me.  
  
plumsy321 : I postied again, and thanks for liking it. I love to get reviews too, so I would loooove you to continue reading.  
  
Kumiko *Kaylin* Eharu : Of course it`s not over, there`s more. Here`s the next bit anyway. . .  
  
Freakyfairy - Don`t be jealous!  
  
xxxbabyxxxomegaxxx~datsme~xxx - Thank you for your opinion.  
  
Hey everyone, I have many people that have reviewed, but many people are leaving too!  
  
Chapter 16  
  
Hermione was in a very testy mood and she snapped at anyone that spoke to her now, because she was so angry with the fact that Malfoy was back, he treated her like dirt, and he seemed to know the exact words to use to make her emotions well up inside of her in a way that she wasn`t aware the could. She couldn`t believe how angry he made her all the time.  
  
Slytherins were celebrating what they thought was the return of his memory, and Professor Snape had taken the liberty of giving Slytherin 200 points for Malfoy`s recovery, while he had docked Gryffindors for any reason that he could possibly find, right down to the 20 points he took from Neville for spelling his name with two ``l``s instead of one.  
  
As Hermione had kept a running total, Gryffindor was in negative points right now, even with every other teacher trying to bring it back up, it seemed that Professor Snape was hard at work.  
  
Hermione thought that Professor Snape (Or Professor Sniveling Git) was gloating about it too much, and he had even smiled when Malfoy walked into the classroom with his memory back, and told him that his grades would be brought back to 100%. Hermione had been livid. She had done his homework for absolutely nothing in the world, and nobody cared.  
  
Hermione`s thoughts, therefore, weren`t that cheerful.  
  
So, Malfoy was back. So what? None of my problems will be gone, so why should I care? I don`t even feel guilty about throwing that book in the fire, in fact, I wish that he hadn`t come back, because now he`s going to make my life a living hell until I die and really go there.  
  
Hermione`s mood, as you can see, hadn`t brightened up since Malfoy had ``come back`` from wherever he had been. He was more nasty than he had been before, and he didn`t pass her once without cursing her or calling her names, and to tell you the truth, Hermione was sick of it.  
  
Hate welled up inside of her chest whenever she thought about him, whenever she saw him she thought that she would explode with anger, so it isn`t necessary to point out that any assignments that required them to work together in their classes were equivalent to atomic explosions.  
  
It seemed that one would go to great lengths to be the meanest, and then other would want to be meaner still, until someone had to go to the hospital wing because of curses. Twice Malfoy had been sent with curses that she had invented and there was no counter curse for.  
  
In turn, however, it had also been Hermione that was sent to the hospital wing, and she could tell that Madam Pomfrey was getting sick of the whole thing, because her face turned red and she sputtered whenever Hermione or Draco were sent to the hospital wing, accompanied by an innocent student that was drilled and screamed at, because she couldn`t yell at the injured student.  
  
Sighing as she thought of her troubles, Hermione began walking toward the Advanced Transfiguration room. She needed to lay down in the bed that was hers and pretend like she could be nothing, if only for a few hours. She needed to be alone right now.  
  
She swore at the giggly portrait and it let her through without the password and Hermione stormed up to the dormitory. She had half-expected to see Malfoy there, sneering at her and glaring when she entered, just to make her life more miserable than it already was, but found the dormitory delightfully empty, which meant that she would be left in peace.  
  
She had a bad feeling, like something bad was going to happen deep in the pit of her stomach, but she ignored it, because she didn`t understand why she felt that way. Something was telling her that things would be worse, but she didn`t know why, so she decided to stay oblivious.  
  
She flopped down on the bed and thought of nothing in particular while she stared at the curtains that surrounded the bed. She pulled them shut around her so that if someone would walk into the room, they might not see Hermione in there, and she would be left alone. She knew that it was a childish thing to do, but she felt like she needed to. She needed to be alone.  
  
She went back to thinking of nothing at all, and her thoughts were slowly drifting away from nothing. Her thoughts had just begun to drift to Malfoy and he position with him right now when . . .  
  
Her thoughts instantly flew to her father, even though what she had been thinking about what totally not about her father or anything relating to her father. Why had her thoughts instantly flew to him? Hermione wondered.  
  
How was he? She hadn`t had news from home for a while, and she didn`t know what this meant. It could have been good or bad, and she was hoping it was good. Maybe there was just nothing that they needed to tell her because he was perfectly fine.  
  
She had sent a letter a few days ago and was hoping for a reply soon, so it came as no surprise to her when a tawny-brown owl flew into the window, in fact, she had been expecting it very much, but she still tried to anticipate what the letter would say when she opened it.  
  
The owl soared through the window and dropped its letter into her outstretched hands. Hermione stared at the letter for a moment, wondering who on earth would send her a letter, because her brain wasn`t processing things quickly, then realizing how stupid that was, considering she had just been thinking about the letter she had sent to her parents, began pondering whether she should open the letter.  
  
Did she want to know what it said? It could be bad news, but a part of her told her that it was bound to be good news. She wondered why the letter had come days after she had sent her letter though, but when she ripped open the envelope, her questions were answered instantly, and she felt confused at first.  
  
She looked over the loose papers quite a few times, as though hoping to see something that she hadn`t seen before, but seeing the same thing every time.  
  
It was written in her mother`s handwriting, and there were blotchy parts, and Hermione began to read, and as she did, she knew why there were smears and smudges. Her mother had been crying, but at first, she couldn`t see why, because the letter seemed cheerful to Hermione.  
  
---  
  
Hermione,  
  
How are you, honey? I love you very much and I hope everything is going good at school with you. Things have been a little crazy here (smear) I`m trying to relax now.  
  
Are you and your friends, Harry and Ron, having fun together? And did Harry ever tell that girl that he liked her? I think her name was Genny, or something.  
  
I want to know everything that has been happening at school, so why don`t you send me a nice long letter so I can feel (smeeeear) me.  
  
Anyway . . .  
  
---  
  
Her mother went on to ask questions about how she was feeling and what she had been doing, and she couldn`t figure out why there were tear marks, because it made no sense.  
  
Her mother must have been nervous when she was writing the letter because she seemed to cross out a lot of words and didn`t appear to all be written with the care that her mother normally wrote with. It looked like the letter had been a last minute writing job.  
  
Did that mean that her mother had forgotten to write the letter like she normally did so she wrote a fast letter instead? Perhaps she should read more of the letter before she started making judgments on her mother, so she looked back at the letter that was clutched in her hand. She didn`t know why, but her heart was beating quickly and fear was surging through her.  
  
She scanned further down and saw more, this time there were more splotch marks, so Hermione decided to read there.  
  
---  
  
Hermione. . .  
  
Baby Girl . . .  
  
Your father was put in the hospital two days ago, they said it was just a precaution, and then they sent him home the next day. (smear) fine, then he began relapsing. He couldn`t breathe, he could barely talk. He told me to tell you he loved you. Then the ambula(smear) came and took him to the hospital, (smear) took him to the emergency room and fixed him up as well as they could, and he started getting better.  
  
I was talking to him, he was (smear) and the doctors said he was going to be fine, but he told (smear) that he was going to be leaving soon, and I said yes, he (smear) going to be leaving the hospital soon, and we would all be a family again.  
  
He (smear) about you, honey, he wanted to know if you had written to him, and I said yes. I showed him the letters that I had just (smear), and he said that you were his ray of sunshine (smear) the dark, and his most beautiful daughter, but that the dark was winning.  
  
The doctors said he would be fine, and they disconnected some of the wires and tubes, and within five minutes (smeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeear).  
  
---  
  
Hermione continued reading the words now, without actually understanding the words. Nothing was making sense, and her mind was buzzing. Why had her mother been crying? More than once she had written ``the doctors said he would be okay``. So it made no sense for her to cry. Why was she crying? Maybe it was with happiness?  
  
The cancer was gone. That had to be it! Hermione thought, and she smiled broadly.  
  
Hermione`s spirits soared. Her dad wasn`t dying, and she was going to have him around for the rest of her life. She wouldn`t have to worry about funerals or anything else, because this would be how it was supposed to be.  
  
Hermione couldn`t have been happier, but a voice in her mind told her that there was still a lot of the letter in her hands and that she had better read what else was written on the papers before she made any assumptions.  
  
Scanning further down the page, Hermione continued to read. There was a lot of paper still left. There were two pages after the third one she was on.  
  
---  
  
I guess what I am (smear) to say, is (smear) to understand.  
  
I didn`t want to tell you, but he asked me to.  
  
Hermione . . .  
  
Baby . . .  
  
(smear)  
  
(smear)  
  
(smear)  
  
You father is dead.  
  
---  
  
Hermione dropped the letter and the papers fluttered noiselessly to the ground. Hermione was suddenly on the ground as well, although she was with no memory of falling. She beat at the ground, she beat at it as though it were the ground`s fault that her father was dead. She hit the ground as hard as she possibly could, and then she hit it harder.  
  
He couldn`t be dead. It was impossible! It HAD to be. It had to, had to, had to, had to, had to, had to, had to, had to, had to, had to, had to. She repeated with every pummel she gave the ground.  
  
She hit the ground until her fists were bruised and scratched and she didn`t stop. She couldn`t stop. She hit the ground harder and harder, causing her fists to begin to bleed, but she couldn`t feel it. She could see the blood trickling down her wrist, but she couldn`t feel the pain that should have accompanied it.  
  
She hit her fists more, she hit the ground so hard that she heard a deafening crack, and she didn`t stop. She beat her hands on the ground a few more times before giving up her attempts.  
  
Hermione stood up and glanced around for something. She didn`t feel anything inside. She felt nothing at all, as though her soul had been ripped out, and she needed something to change that for her, but she wasn`t sure what.  
  
Her hand was broken, and she couldn`t feel it in any way, shape, or form. It was as though her nerves were broken. She couldn`t feel at all, and it wasn`t right. She SHOULD feel something, her father was dead.  
  
Her father. . .  
  
She needed to feel something, anything, anything at all. Pain. Horrible, strong, awe-inspiring pain. She needed to feel the pain, she needed it to come right now. Agony. Defeat. Anguish. Misery. Something. Anything.  
  
She didn`t feel like a person. How could she? She wasn`t feeling anything, like she was a rock. She felt like a meaningless shell that was sitting on the earth for no reason at all. It was like she didn`t matter, she was a decoration and a waste of space and resources.  
  
Pain. Her mind reminded her. She needed pain.  
  
Hermione screamed and ran headlong into the wall, and she felt her body bounce back, but she couldn`t feel the pain she should have. She needed more, the pain needed to be more intense, stronger.  
  
Her father . . .  
  
Hermione screamed and screamed, but it seemed that nobody could hear her. Apparently the Advanced Transfiguration dormitories were soundproofed, no doubt because of the nature of being Anamagaii.  
  
Pain. She needed more pain. She couldn`t feel anything yet.  
  
Hermione ran down the hall and ran right to the steps and she let herself tumble down the flight of stairs. She could tell that her body was bouncing and tumbling, but she still couldn`t feel anything.  
  
She was numb.  
  
~+~  
  
Panic surged through her. Where was she? Why was she in the forbidden forest? She didn`t remember deciding to GO into the forbidden forest, so why was she here. She closed her eyes.  
  
All she wanted was Crookshanks. She needed to stroke him and feel him purring. She needed confirmation that she was truly alive. He was her pet and her best friend. She really relied on him to make her feel better, and she knew that she could always count on him no matter what.  
  
Hermione started forging her way out of the forest. She needed to be safe, lying in a bed, hiding from the truth. It wasn`t real. It couldn`t be real.  
  
Her father was . . .  
  
She began running. She didn`t know why, it was like running would save her. If she ran nothing in the would could catch up with her. It was like running could take care of the huge void that was filling her heart, eating up her soul, tearing her up from the inside out.  
  
She hadn`t been there to say goodbye. The last time she had seen him was before she had left for school months ago. He didn`t know what she looked like when he had died. The pictures he must have had were old. The wouldn`t look anything like her.  
  
She felt a rush of anger toward the pictures. How dare they decide to not look like her? Why had they let her father die not knowing what his daughter truly looked like? Why couldn`t they have changed to really look like she did, just for her father to look at her one last time?  
  
She couldn`t stand the words that were in her head. `dead`, `father`, `gone`, `forever`, all horrible words that Hermione didn`t want to think about. Her father had always been that strong guy that she looked up to, he had always seemed like a permanent figure in her life, but he was gone.  
  
Hermione bit her cheek as she could feel the pain now surging toward her, filling her lungs and choking her. She couldn`t stand it. It wasn`t fair.  
  
``WHAT HAVE I DONE?`` She screamed as she let herself fall to the ground. She lay on her back now, screaming at some unseen person.  
  
``WHAT THE HELL DID I DO TO YOU? WHY DO I DESERVE THIS? WHY?`` Hermione screamed still, and she didn`t know who she was screaming to, she just needed to scream.  
  
``Why?`` she sobbed as she collapsed on herself and became a heap of robes and person.  
  
She didn`t know what to feel. She was angry and scared and sad and confused all at once, and she couldn`t take it. She couldn`t stand to be here, she couldn`t stand to feel anything now that she could.  
  
Her hand was throbbing, her head hurt like crud, her arms were bruised and bleeding, her feet were pounding, her elbows were blistered, her face was scratched, but her heart was empty.  
  
Hermione sobbed and cried and there was no way that she could have stopped if she had wanted to.  
  
``Why?`` she sobbed again, this time much quieter.  
  
Hermione Granger felt empty and alone.  
  
~+~  
  
A/N: Now do you understand why the last chapter was a liiiiiiittle boring? Please review, and I will try to update ASAP.  
  
Where is everyone? People are leaving!!!  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	19. Odd Circumstances

Purple Spotted Hedwig : I know it kinda sucks in 17-18, but I needed to have these fillers in to make the plot make SOME sense. Thanks for reviewing, and please continue to read.  
  
angelic_Devilbabe : thanks, that is a real compliment. Please continue to review, because I love reviews!  
  
Lorien : I know, I had to wait to post because I had other things to be doing and I didn`t have time to write, I am sorry!!!  
  
Imperfectionist : I will!  
  
Ickle Ronniekins Girlie!! : Yes, that kind of stuff bugged me in other stories, so I decided not to include it.  
  
Angel of Flames : I will update. . . NOW~ Please review! =D  
  
Blueamber : lol, you are a very interesting person. =D Please read more! I enjoy your reviews.  
  
LP Draconis : Wow, I can`t believe all of the compliments I have been getting. Please continue to read and I hope you enjoy it.  
  
Whatevachick : lol, thanks.  
  
Neko the Hanyou : here`s what happens  
  
Orliangel : Thanks for the complments, please continue to read.  
  
Angel125 : I will, I will, I will!  
  
Freakyfairy : Nooo, please don`t be jealous, I don`t like jealousy. Have fun at your camp and review when you return!!  
  
Chintamani : Here`s mo-er-er-er.  
  
Tabii : Thank you, and here`s the next part.  
  
Sirius`sgurl : yes, I know.  
  
Cherryplum11 : =D, crying huh? And don`t worry about not reviewing, I am used to not having billions of reviews, although when I opened my inbox two weeks ago and had 11 messages, that was pretty cool. ;) I am the updating queen!!!  
  
Darkmoon of Shadows : Thanks for the compliments, and I`ll try not to rush.  
  
I would like to apologize for taking so long to update, my friend from Japan came and we had to get my friend from Montana back here where she lives so that she could see my friend from Japan, and then we had to go to another state, so everything was crazy.  
  
I am back now, although it may take me two days to update next time.  
  
Read and enjoy!  
  
~+~  
  
I have a problem . . . I am trying to satisfy everyone, and everyone wants something completely different to happen in the story, and I am trying to follow my storyline, so try to not be so forceful with your suggestions, because my story line has been altered many times already, and I am going to try to stick to my original routine from now on, but if you need to, I advise you to suggest anyway. I can handle it.  
  
Please don`t leave me, and please review!  
  
~+~  
  
Chapter 17  
  
Eventually someone found Hermione, curled up in a heap on the ground, and they brought her to the hospital wing where Madam Pomfrey healed her broken wrist, vanished her scratches and faded her bruises, but there was nothing that she could do to change the emptiness that she felt in her heart.  
  
It seemed like just yesterday she had been in her dad`s arms, laughing with him, talking to him, and now all of that had been stolen from her in one instant. Why did it have to be her? Out of the billions of people on the earth, it had to be her that lost her father.  
  
Closing her eyes, she could almost see his smiling face at their summer party. He had thrown a super huge party the year after she had come home after her first year at Hogwarts. None of the people had showed up, so the three of them had used everything themselves and ate all of the food that her mother had prepared together. It was the best summer she had ever had.  
  
Then she remembered after her second year, she had come home and Ron had turned beet red when her father had suggested that he liked Hermione, and he hadn`t let her forget it all summer. He teased her about having secret boyfriends and told her, very seriously, that he didn`t want to be a grandparent.  
  
Sadly, Hermione realized that he never would be. She shook her head and told her brain to remember more happy times, to clear her mind of these horrible thoughts that plagued her.  
  
After her third year her father and mother had taken her on a vacation to the theme park for a few days, and her father had agreed to ride the rides even though he hated heights and going upside down, he had said that he didn`t want some strange guy sitting with his `Mione.  
  
Hermione sighed. When her father called her `Mione, she felt this wonderful feeling in her stomach and heart, but when Ron or Harry called her `Mione, she didn`t feel anything. It was a meaningless name when they said it.  
  
Then her world had fallen apart. In her fourth year she had found out that her father had cancer and she had panicked. Her father had told her that it would probably be alright, but look how that turned out.  
  
He was dead, and she knew it. She couldn`t believe it though, no matter how many times she heard it, it couldn`t be true. There was no way that she was ready to believe it, so she refused to.  
  
She still hadn`t finished reading the letter that had been sent to her, she was also afraid of that. What if it told her something that she didn`t want to know? What if it confirmed her fears?  
  
Up until now, Hermione was still telling herself that it wasn`t true, that her father wasn`t dead and that she was going to see him when school was over in a couple of months, happy as a clam (A/N: why is that a saying anyway? Isn`t it kinda stupid? How do we know a clam is happy?) and healthy too.  
  
Yet, even as she thought it, she knew that it was untrue. In her mind he was dead, and in her heart he was dying. She was losing all of the hope she had ever had that he would get better and she was losing the faith in everything that she had believed in. Love hadn`t saved him, so what good was love?  
  
Hermione had vast mood swings too. One minute she would be sad, the next she would be ominously angry. Her tears mingled with sweat and confusion, creating a look of chaos around Hermione that wouldn`t go away. She looked like she had exploded on the outside, and she felt like she had exploded on the inside.  
  
She then felt a spontaneous and irrational rush of anger toward her father. It was all his fault that he was dead, and Hermione was sticking to this theory, for the time being.  
  
Why hadn`t he let them use magic to cure the cancer? Why couldn`t he have let himself be cured? Did he like having the natural curse on him, knowing that it would kill him? Did he know how much it would hurt everyone else when he died? Why hadn`t he thought about what it would do to the people that he left behind when he wasn`t here anymore? Didn`t he care about what it would do to his daughter and wife?  
  
Hermione felt more tears escape her eyes as she thought about her father. Her feelings were welling up inside of her to the boiling point. She needed to talk to someone and let her feelings, but there was only one slight problem with this need.  
  
Nobody knew that he father was dead.  
  
She hadn`t told anyone, and the only people that knew her father had even been sick were Harry and Ron, and even they probably forgot, because she had only mentioned something once. And the truth was, she wasn`t as comfortable around them anymore. Harry stuttered and stumbled through everything that he said to her, and Ron had a new girlfriend, so he was hardly around without her clinging to his arm like her pitiful life depended on it.  
  
Hermione felt left behind when she saw them, both laughing over something in Quiddich, kissing their girlfriends, slapping each other on the back. She was always their `gal pal` in first, second, third, and fourth year, but now, they were beginning to grow apart more than any of them had wanted, and it was becoming obvious that they were different than her.  
  
She was the girl, they thought that she was over emotional and if she tried to tell them that nothing was wrong they would see her tears and blame it on ``that time of the month`` which had earned Ron a smack on the head the last time he brought it up. She didn`t think that it was fair for Ron blamed everything on the fact that she was a girl, because it wasn`t just that.  
  
Hermione sighed and turned a page in a book that she was reading and glared at the figure across from her, just to keep things friendly.  
  
Draco Malfoy sat across from her, and they were both doing their assignment for Professor Dumbledore together, although they had both objected, she had pointed out that they were supposed to be doing it and that they needed to find out why he had been ``sucked`` into the book, and he had skived off the topic fairly quickly and had agreed to work.  
  
Hermione was still nervous about the job they had been given. What was Dumbledore having them do, and why did it have to do with time reversals and other such things. Weren`t those kind of things dangerous?  
  
And why did she have to work with Draco Malfoy of all people?  
  
Tears were silently sliding out of her eyes even as she tried to research, so she tried to hide her face behind her book at all times, but sometimes she had to move or put down the book, and she hoped that Malfoy couldn`t see her face, not that he would want to, because she didn`t want to have to talk to him.  
  
The tears wouldn`t stop and Hermione couldn`t wipe them because then Malfoy would be bound to notice and she didn`t want to talk to anyone about her father`s death ever in her life. It was going to be her little secret that she kept inside. She didn`t think that she COULD talk if she wanted to.  
  
Sighing to herself, Hermione made a note to herself to make sure that he didn`t see her tearstained face and all would be fine.  
  
~+~  
  
Fifteen minutes later, he noticed.  
  
``Mudblood, why are you crying?``  
  
``Because I have to work with you.`` she said sarcastically as she tried to make him decide to go back to his work and leave her alone. She didn`t want to talk to anyone right now.  
  
``Seriously.`` he said, and Hermione was beginning to feel confused. Why did he suddenly care now? He had always been looking for a reason to annoy her or hurt her emotionally, so why wasn`t he now? Wasn`t that his ultimate goal in life, to make hers miserable?  
  
``It`s nothing.`` she muttered, and went back to writing notes from the book that she had been reading before.  
  
Malfoy continued trying to make her talk, and she was sure that if he tried much longer that she would break down. Then she would end up spilling her deepest secrets, and she didn`t want to do that.  
  
Hermione slammed her book shut and stood up as she stormed down the corridor. She couldn`t stay around him, because then she would spill and that was the last thing that she wanted to happen right now.  
  
She stopped and leaned against the wall. He stood in front of her look/glaring at her, she couldn`t tell which.  
  
``Why can`t you leave me be?``  
  
``Because you grow on people.`` he said, and she started to smile.  
  
``So does cancer.`` Hermione felt anger well up inside of her. She turned and ran down the hall, shooting death looks at him all the way.  
  
How could he say something so horrid? So vial? So. . . earth shattering.  
  
She was practically running down the hall, and she could hear that Draco was keeping up with no problem at all. Hermione sighed exasperatedly. She wanted to get away, and here he was, chasing her.  
  
``LEAVE ME ALONE!`` she screamed at him, but he wouldn`t listen. He seemed to be set on following her, so she tried to lose him by taking the craziest route, but he stayed behind her the whole time.  
  
Hermione shoved the portrait open without saying the password and fled into the common room of the Advanced Transfiguration room. She was running up the stairs now, and she felt someone grab her sleeve and pull her back.  
  
``Whaaaat?`` she said in a voice that could be compared to a whine.  
  
``You need to talk to someone.`` he said, and she rolled her eyes. What did he know anyway?  
  
``Yeah, and I`m gonna choose YOU of all people to talk to. Nice meeting you in your dream world, can I come back to earth, or am I stuck on Moron-utopia?``  
  
``I don`t care who you talk to, but you`re going to talk to someone, or you`re going to explode.`` So he noticed too? She thought that she was the only person that could predict when she would explode, obviously that wasn`t the case if he could tell too though.  
  
``If I talk to you, will you leave me alone?`` she asked. She was going to feed him some lies and tell him to take a hike, and she wouldn`t have to tell anyone anything that she didn`t want to.  
  
``Yeah, `Mione.`` he said. Hermione wasn`t sure whether he had said that on accident or on purpose, but either way it made her heart melt. She had the same feeling as the one that she got when her father had used to say her name that way. She felt like the dam had been broken. Words flooded from her mouth before she could stop them.  
  
``I need someone. I know I need someone, but there isn`t anyone for me. I need to fill this hole in my heart, this gaping rip that tore me in half.`` Malfoy gave her an inquisitive look, as though he were completely confused.  
  
``M-Draco, my dad died.`` she whispered, and she wasn`t prepared for what happened next. Instead of the usual sneer that flanked his face, Malfoy was looking at her with grey eyes that were no longer cold as slate, but reminded her of the receding storm, and his face showed concern and sympathy - two things that she had never imagined a Malfoy would be able to express.  
  
He wasn`t speaking, but his mouth made an `O`.  
  
``I miss my daddy.`` Hermione whispered, and she sounded like a lost three-year-old girl that was in need of something. She saw herself reflected in his eyes, and she looked pitiful and young. His eyes were searching her face for some hint of sarcasm or something that would prove that she was lying.  
  
``I. . . um . . . `` he sputtered, trying to speak, but obviously at a major loss for words.  
  
``I don`t do alone too well.`` she said in a voice barely above a whisper as more tears welled up inside her eyes.  
  
Hermione felt so alone right now, her mother was out of the country visiting relatives and preparing the funeral, leaving Hermione alone in the castle that she felt that she could no longer call home.  
  
Hermione was now beginning to wonder whether it would be easier to seek release. If she were to die, she would leave the pain behind, nobody would have to feel the pain and she would be happy with her father.  
  
Her mother wouldn`t have to worry about supporting her without her father`s income, so she would be free to live her life how she wanted, and her mother could date again without the ``string`` attached. She wouldn`t have any children, and that would make more men want to date her. She was attractive, she would be able to start a new life.  
  
Apparently she had voiced this thought out loud, because Draco placed his hand over her mouth to stop her from talking.  
  
``Don`t say that, you know it wouldn`t help anything.`` Draco told her. ``You need to be here for you mother when she needs to talk to someone.``  
  
``I can`t believe that he`s just. . . dead. . .``  
  
``Do not stand on my grave and weep,`` Draco said, and Hermione gave him a funny look, but he continued.  
  
``I am not there, I do not sleep,  
  
I am a thousand winds that blow,  
  
I am the diamond glints on the snow,  
  
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,  
  
I am the gentle autumns rain.`` Hermione smiled slightly as she listened to Draco talk. She was intrigued by the way that he spoke and how he somehow made the words seem to be words that he was speaking off of the top of his head, but she knew the poem from elsewere.  
  
``When you awaken in the morning's hush,  
  
I am the swift uplifting rush,  
  
Of quiet birds in circled flight,  
  
I am the soft starshine at night.`` Hermione watched Draco talk, and the words somehow were having a calming effect on her, she felt better as she listened to him speaking.  
  
``Do not stand at my grave and cry,  
  
I am not there. I did not die.`` Hermione smiled for the first time in a few days, and she couldn`t believe how foreign it seemed on her face.  
  
``Imortality, by Robert Hepburn.`` she whispered. ``Thanks, Draco.`` a small smile played on his lips, something that she never saw, but distinctly enjoyed.  
  
``Welcome, `Mione.`` Obviously he didn`t know what effect this would have on her, because she felt tears welling up in her eyes again, and a look of distress crossed Draco`s face.  
  
Somehow, neither of them knew exactly how, Draco was hugging Hermione, and she was sobbing uncontrollably into the shoulders of his robes. It didn`t matter that he was a Slytherin and she was a Gryffindor, it didn`t matter that they hated each other during the typical school day, because right now, one was broken and the other was trying to fix it.  
  
It scared Hermione when she realized that she liked where she was. She liked being in Draco`s arms, and she never wanted the moment to end.  
  
She felt safe in his arms.  
  
~+~  
  
Something that included Malfoy could not last however, and after a few minutes, Hermione had calmed down and she had been summoned to do some duty or other, taking her away from Malfoy, and making her wonder whether he had truly been trying to make her feel better.  
  
Through the day, Hermione had this strange feeling in her mind and she couldn`t shake it, but she couldn`t identify it either.  
  
Shaking the thoughts for now, Hermione went to her classes.  
  
~+~  
  
A/N: So, what do you think? I am having trouble writing, because I don`t know who to try to satisfy!!!  
  
Please don`t be too mean~  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	20. Advanced Transfiguration

Willowfairy : Thank you for your words of wisdom (that sounded stupid) and my friends are already gone (boo hoo). I hope to update real soon!  
  
Spaced Out Space Cadet : Oh wow, thanks for the compliments!  
  
Ickle Ronniekins Girlie!! : Thanks, and I made you cry again? Is that good or bad? Thanks for the `constructive criticism`.  
  
justice rain : thanks, and you, keep reading, I like reviews!!  
  
Chinagurl : Sheesh, what is this with my writing and making people cry? Do I make EVERYONE cry? =D Please continue to read and thanks for the compliments!!  
  
Ceallaigh : Thank you for the view on the suggestions, and I really didn`t have any intention of changing my story, I just had one part where I didn`t know what should happen and I had four different ways to go and I didn`t know which way to go!! Thanks for liking my story (great great great works for me) and please continue to read!  
  
Morgan : lol, maybe. . . =D Review more please!  
  
Xaein : I made you cry too? Ack! Thank you for your opinion and please continue to read!  
  
Cherryplum11 : thanks for the compliments and I`m sure that you could update the same, if not better, than me.  
  
The SimonCowel of Fanfiction : Wow, thanks for the compliment and I`m really sorry about your dad, I hope that the story doesn`t offend you in any way or anything. If it does, please don`t read it.  
  
Imperfectionist : lol! This is Malfoy, nothing is that simple.  
  
Freakyfairy : I used your favorite poem ever? Cool!  
  
LP Draconis: You. . .?  
  
Iluvharrypotter3927 : Oh, thanks very much. I have read some of those cheesy fics and I just don`t like them, they aren`t realistic.  
  
Angel125 : Thank you!  
  
Tabii : Thanks so much! I will continue ASAP.  
  
Lorien : Thanks for the good ideas and I hope you like this next chapter!  
  
Purple Spotted Hedwig : I am aware that it was a little OCC, but I think some things will make sense later (that or I`m losing ``the touch``)  
  
Darkmoon of Shadows : You like the word good, I like the word good, everything is good! =D  
  
tjs91989 : Thank you and I won`t. Please continue to read.  
  
Artemis MoonClaw : Hey, Lisa Ou! How are you? The story is happy and sad, cool!!! Please read more!  
  
Blueamber : Paint walls black and write the poem over and over? Hmm . . . that`s a LITTLE too far, don`t you think? Cool! Tell me when your fic comes out so I can check it out!  
  
Azhure : Thanks for the views and wow, you don`t like D/H but you`re reading mine? Thanks very much, that`s a compliment in itself.  
  
WOW! I have so many reviews this time! That is amazing, but it bugged me when I tried to open my e-mail and it says, `You have 23 new messages` and I COULDN`T OPEN THEM!!! ACK!  
  
Please read more and tell me what you think!!  
  
---  
  
Chapter 18  
  
Despite what she told herself, Hermione found herself sneaking glances at Malfoy during classes and in between classes. She needed to know how pretending to comfort her would play into his hands, because she was sure that he wouldn`t do anything without it giving him something in return.  
  
She couldn`t think of what he would gain though, because everything she thought of made absolutely no sense. How could he achieve anything by being kind to her?  
  
Hermione shoved the thought from her mind, and not a moment too soon. Professor Snape seemed to enjoy the idea of torturing his students, and he saw his classes as a perfect opportunity to do so, as he has assigned the strongest truth potion that was within all laws set by the ministry of magic.  
  
``Every student will be required to ask one student a question, and they will give the answer. If their face is blue, they have lied. We shall see how many people have blue faces at the end of the lesson.`` Professor Snape seemed to enjoy this idea, but everyone else seemed to think that it was cruel and unusual punishment that nobody deserved, but they all resigned themselves to their fate.  
  
Hermione ended up with Dean Thomas, and she figured that it could have been much worse than it was, because she could have been paired with someone that couldn`t tell a teaspoon from a table spoon.  
  
Together, in pure silence, they brewed the potion, and by the time they were done Dean had a large and blotchy red mark where Hermione slapped his hand whenever he was adding the wrong ingredient or wrong amount of ingredient. Speaking to him didn`t seem to work, so she reduced her actions to physical actions.  
  
``Dean, NO!`` Hermione almost yelled as she completely forgot her slapping routine. He seemed to think that they needed to put the vial of pink substance into the mixture when it was already simmering how it was supposed to, but Hermione knew that the results would be catastrophic.  
  
Dean, however, didn`t seem to be paying attention to anything that she said and he was seconds away from ruining their potion when he stopped. Her words seem to have sunk in ten seconds after she spoke them.  
  
``Huh, wha?`` he said stupidly and she rolled her eyes.  
  
``Never mind, just don`t touch anything unless I tell you to, alright?`` Hermione asked, and found that he was simply staring at her, his mouth hanging slightly open, and looking at her in an odd way.  
  
Hermione stared at him inquisitively. What was he doing? Why was he staring at her like that, and what was the reason for his tongue to be hanging out of his mouth in that fashion?  
  
Hermione waved her hand in front of his face.  
  
``Dean?`` When she got no response, she tried again.  
  
``Deeeeeeeean?`` she repeated, holding his single syllable name out as though it were not thirty-three syllables.  
  
He shook his head, and looked ashamed.  
  
``Uh . . . sorry.`` he mumbled and Hermione brushed off the thoughts that were coming to her mind. He was only a half-moron, not a complete one.  
  
``Since you imbeciles aren`t able to retain this much information, you will finish the assignment next class period where I expect an eight foot essay on the uses and meaning behind the Revolution in Potions in 1788.`` Professor Snape said, and Hermione thought that her eyes were going to pop out of their sockets and roll around on the floor like Mad Eye Moody`s.  
  
Eight feet? That was the same as ninety-six inches, and all due in two days time. How would she find time for that and everything else that was happening in her life? Her homework didn`t even seem to be an important aspect of her life anymore, she had things that were taking precedence, such as her family problems and trying to solve her sinking depression along with the fact that every time Malfoy stepped into her life, it got more and more confusing.  
  
Just when she would start to think that she knew ``what he was all about`` he would completely revise her thoughts, making it near impossible to tell who he really was, and there was something about him that made her want to be around him, but then the ``Jerk Malfoy`` would kick in and she would want nothing more than to jinx him until his head fell off. It all depended on her mood.  
  
Hermione stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder as she marched out. She was taking the next three classes off to try to find some more information on the time reversals and such that Professor Dumbledore had asked them to do. She wanted to know why he had chosen them to do the job, but hadn`t asked for fear that she would sound too nosey or rude, something Malfoy didn`t need to strive for.  
  
Every time she looked at Malfoy she felt something in her stomach, but she couldn`t quite place what it was, so she always dismissed the feeling for some new version of hate.  
  
Hermione sighed and walked toward the library.  
  
~+~  
  
To her immense displeasure, Malfoy had chosen to take three classes off, and two of their classes off overlapped, meaning that she had to spend one and a half hours in the same library with Malfoy, and the prospect wasn`t looking too bright or happy for Hermione.  
  
Hermione slouched over to the table that he was at and plopped down on the table, drew her breath to say hi, and saw the look of dislike on his face, and decided that a greeting would not be a good idea at this time.  
  
Hermione glared at him and made an odd noise that she didn`t know she could make.  
  
``Hi, I`m human, what are you?`` he said sarcastically and Hermione longed to hit him over the head with `Advanced Magical Theory and Relevant Terms in Which Degglius Pornitable has Explained in Thirty - Thousand Magical Graphs and Charts`, but decided that this wouldn`t make the impression she wanted, although the dent in his skull may be impression enough.  
  
``No, Malfoy.`` she said, a smirk that she had picked up from him crawling up her lips. ``Any similarity between you and a human being is purely coincidental.`` He smirked even wider, and Hermione lost any hope of them being civil to each other, knowing that it would only go downhill from here.  
  
For the next thirty minutes they traded insults, with each minute the insults becoming more and more hurtful and intrusive. It got to the point where Hermione had to ``get up to find more books`` in order to get away from him and his harsh words that plagued her study time.  
  
She walked to the part of the Restricted Section that was against the wall and reached for a book entitled, `The Key to Time Travel`. The second she pulled it from its shelf the entire wall began to fade away and she could hear various clicking, clacking and dinging noises from behind the wall.  
  
With a sudden jerk she was thrust into another room that she had no idea existed, and wished that she still were blissfully unaware of its existence, because she didn`t like the view that she was getting now.  
  
There were the traditional skeletons and random bones in shackles on the walls, but there were also ghosts of her gory bodies that Hermione would have liked to had not seen, but it was too late. There were book shelves lining two of the walls, blood was spattered in the oddest places in the room, and there was a knife with blue blood still dripping down the handle as though it were just plunged into a living being and placed on the table for her to see.  
  
Hermione wished to scream, but she couldn`t, as her throat was unusually dry and she didn`t have any movement of any of her major limbs or any other muscle in her body to be precise.  
  
Hermione stumbled backward and fell through the wall, and she landed in a heap on the floor. She heard foot steps, but didn`t bother to even look at who it was, she would know soon enough.  
  
``Geez, Granger, you can`t even get a book without falling down?`` Malfoy said, laughter in his voice and Hermione wanted nothing more than to strangle him.  
  
``Oh, and thank you for helping me win my bet.`` he said sardonically and Hermione turned to look at him, still in a heap on the floor.  
  
``I . . . what?`` Hermione, obvious confusion in her voice.  
  
``I won a bet. Some guys thought that I couldn`t end up with you in my arms, and you helped me win 300 galleons.`` Malfoy said, and Hermione stared at him, her eyes widening and horrible realization dawning on her.  
  
``Thought I actually cared about you, Mudblood?`` he asked in a mocking tone and Hermione couldn`t have felt worse, although she should have been expecting this reaction or something similar to it, because she knew that she was dealing with Draco Malfoy.  
  
Yet she was still hurt by what she was told. How could he have toyed with her emotions as though they didn`t matter? She was so vulnerable, and she had trusted his judgment and he had been given her heart and the key to her soul, and what had he done? He had torn her further apart than she was before.  
  
``. . . oh.`` Hermione said in a quiet voice, hoping the pain that she was feeling didn`t shoe on her face, but knowing it probably did. What ever was left of her wanting to be open was gone. She wasn`t going to allow herself to take any more pain. She would never feel it again.  
  
Her wall of no-emotion rose and she stood up, brushed herself off, and walked past Malfoy, leaving her book bag and all of her things lying on the floor. She didn`t care about them anymore, she didn`t care about anything anymore. She would never feel pain again.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione was as undelighted as she could have been when she was assigned to sit next to Malfoy during their next Advanced Transfiguration class, but was happier to learn that they were going to begin the first stages of being Anamagaii.  
  
It was hard to tear herself from her thoughts, but Hermione desperately wanted to learn this material and prove that she wasn`t losing her mind like most people thought she was - she still hadn`t told anyone that her father had died, and everyone thought that she was going through a hormonal stage in her life or something to the same effect that bothered Hermione.  
  
There was no time for it to bother her though, because Professor McGonagall had begun talking about their training.  
  
``I will ask you to cast the charm that shows you the animals that you can transform into, and then you will pick ONE,`` she stressed the one, as you can see. ``Of the three animals that should be present, keep in mind that some people may have a different number of animals.`` Professor McGonagall said and everyone pulled out their wands and within ten seconds two people were writhing on the floor in what looked like enormous pain.  
  
Professor McGonagall called order and instructed the students on what to do next.  
  
~+~  
  
` Anamagaii conjunctus mancy.` Hermione muttered, knowing that she would get the spell right this time because she had been practicing it before to make sure that she wouldn`t need Malfoy`s help anymore.  
  
Instantly the three smoky and shadowy figures sprung up in front of her, and she was trying to concentrate on what Professor McGonagall was saying because it sounded awfully important.  
  
``When you have made your decision of animals then I want you to recite the name of the animal three times and then jab the figure with your wand.`` Professor McGonagall said, and Hermione thought that this was strange but followed the instructions.  
  
There was a slight problem though. She had to choose which animal she wanted and she didn`t know how she would be able to. There were pros and cons for every animal that was there to choose.  
  
The cat was a common animal and people wouldn`t give it a second glance normally, but she would run the chance of being captured and used for other purposes that she wanted to avoid.  
  
The golden fox was not something that you commonly saw on the streets but in the forest it was normal and she couldn`t think of any things that it was used for that would result in injury, however many muggles used their fur for coats and wizards did like to keep them as pets on farms to chase away the wild birds and such.  
  
The phoenix seemed to be the best choice that she had, but Professor McGonagall had also warned them that dragons, phoenixes, water nymphs and sun fairies were the hardest to transform into because of their magical nature and shouldn`t be chosen unless the person was sure that they were powerful enough to transform, because some witches and wizards had become stuck as the animal they chose to transform into because they weren`t powerful enough to transform themselves back, and Hermione didn`t know if she was powerful enough to perform something like that.  
  
Professor Dumbledore`s words echoed in her mind as she thought this though, because he had said that her and Malfoy were the most powerful students in this school and she had over heard some teachers talking about how there were some students that were more powerful than they had ever hoped to be.  
  
Her mind was reeling. Which animal should she choose?  
  
Hermione closed her eyes and imagined which animal would best suit her. She didn`t want to appear cocky and choose the phoenix, and she was worried about what may happen to her if she did.  
  
Better to go with something that was safer.  
  
Hermione stared between the cat and the fox. She would be better off if she chose the fox, and she always would have Crookshanks to look back at and play with, so the fox was the better choice.  
  
`` Golden Fox, Golden Fox, Golden Fox.`` Hermione said, and then she took her wand and jabbed the smoky figure that looked like the fox.  
  
Her world began to spin and smoke was wafting around her everywhere. Her hair was shrinking, her face was being bent. She closed her eyes and willed the strange happenings to go away.  
  
Hermione`s eyes flew open and she saw that she was a golden fox, and she looked around at the other people - or what used to be people - and saw that they were all animals, and she noticed that Draco Malfoy had chosen to be a show-off, like always, and had chosen to be the dragon.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes, or tried to, and found herself wondering how she was going to transform back into a human, she couldn`t exactly spend the rest of her life as a fox.  
  
Before she had a chance to do anything though, she felt the world spinning again.  
  
~+~  
  
``If myself or anyone else catches any animals running around the school I will make sure that there is punishment to pay, and I assure you, it will not be fun. We will continue to work on these charms tomorrow. Be here after dinner.`` Professor McGonagall swept from the dormitory leaving behind less than a dozen dazed students.  
  
~+~  
  
Later that night, Hermione felt thoughts muddling her mind and she couldn`t tell one from the other.  
  
First she thought about how arrogant of Malfoy it was to choose the dragon, but it suited his attitude well, he liked to gloat at every possible opportunity. She couldn`t believe that he thought that highly of himself.  
  
Her thoughts slowly drifted to the room she had encountered in the library. Why was that kind of room there? It wasn`t a nice room, Hermione was sure of that, but she still wondered what it had been used for because it resembled a torture chamber, but there was no sense in it. Why had that knife looked fresh? Why had the skeletons been in shackles? Why did it look so cliché?  
  
Hermione rolled over and thought about random things, her thoughts settling on Malfoy again.  
  
Why did she have that stupid feeling whenever she saw him? Maybe it was the newest way to hate someone, she thought. Yes, that had to be it because there was no other way to describe what she was feeling.  
  
Hermione snuggled down into the blankets and closed her eyes.  
  
Images of her father flooded her memory, and tears leaked out of her eyes despite the fact that they were closed. Her father, her dad, the man that would always be there, and now he was gone, forever.  
  
Hermione remembered when she was three and her ice cream had fallen on the floor. Her dad had picked it up and dropped it on his head just to make her laugh, and she remembered, vividly, the bright blue drops that slid down the side of her face and she could almost hear his laughter while he picked her up and spun her around.  
  
She wouldn`t see him ever again. He was gone.  
  
Even as she thought it, she remembered the poem that Malfoy had recited and moaned as she rolled over again. Everything in her life somehow led her back to Malfoy, and it was unnerving her.  
  
No matter how she started thinking, her thought would end up on Malfoy.  
  
Why does he have to make my life so damn confusing? Hermione wondered as she drifted off into sleep.  
  
~+~  
  
A/N: I apologize for this taking so long, and it may take this amount of time from her on out because my internet isn`t working. Some dude is coming out in a couple of days to fix it, so the next chapter may take just as long to update.  
  
Please read and review!!!  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	21. New Suprises

Lester : Thanks, and here`s more.  
  
Sunshine : I made you cry too? I am hoping that this is a good thing, and thanks for reviewing~ I like reviews!!! I wouldn`t say that this story is amazing though.  
  
ILUVRONWEASLEY : Ooh, wow, thanks. I am on my tiptoes trying to make this stupid internet connection work~ Don`t worry about ``not being an experienced reviewer``, just tell what you think!  
  
Yopgi_Chunsa : Hey, thanks a lot. Yes, as you probably noticed, I e-mailed you, and I hope I kkeep you guessing!  
  
Columbus : I can`t explain everything, then there would be no point in writing the story!!! Besides, I don`t like stories where Draco falls in love with Hermione in the first few chapters, they are corny.  
  
Reviewer : I appreciate that you took the time to review, but I would appreciate that if you are going to say negative things, you would give me positive suggestions.  
  
Ceallaigh : Ack, she discovered my secret! Or. . . one of them. =D Thanks for the great great great fantastic review. =D  
  
Imperfectionist : All I have to say is, LOL.  
  
Artemis Moonclaw : Thanks, and here is more!  
  
Xaein : Lol, and you made the use of ``dude`` appear stupid, but I was tired, so my English wasn`t the best.  
  
Freaky fairy: Yeah, I noticed shoe instead of show, but oh well, it COULD have been worse, and ff.net won`t let me change the chapter to fix it at the moment, so oh well. Hope you enjoy this chapter.  
  
Darkmoon of Shadows : Thanks, and I appreciate how you broke down the parts of the story. Please enjoy this chapter.  
  
blueamber: Yeah, well I was TRYING to get across that she was trying to ignore it, and she has so much other things going on that she is confused, ah well, I guess it didn`t work how I wanted, oh well. Lol to the prayer.  
  
tjs91989 : Thanks, and you`re welcome.  
  
Chinagurl : LOL, thanks~  
  
Lorien : LOL, so I confuse people too? My job is done! Yeah! =D It`ll (hopefully) make more sense later.  
  
Ickle Ronniekins Girlie!! : Of course he will like Hermione, that`s why it`s under the Draco/Hermione section!!!  
  
Willowfairy : Maybe, maybe not. . . Please enjoy this chapter.  
  
The SimonCowel of Fanfiction : Thanks for the compliments, and I am glad to be able to say that I have no experience with this subject - personally at least.  
  
Please enjoy this chapter, and I hope to make the next chapter Veeeeeeery Sooooooon.  
  
---  
  
Chapter 19  
  
Hermione awoke on the morning of Saturday, which dawned bright and clear which also meant that the Hogwarts grounds would be flooded with students and the Great Hall would be teaming with kids, but Hermione had only one place that she wanted to visit today and it wasn`t the Hogwarts grounds or the Great Hall - the room she wanted to go to was the room that she had found in the library the other day by accident.  
  
The images of the room still seemed to be burnt into the insides of her eyelids, appearing every time she closed her eyes. She couldn`t rid her mind of the skeletons, the knife, the blue blood . . . She didn`t understand the room or anything about the room. It was so foreboding and mysterious, and she didn`t know if she wanted to be tangled up in something like that, but here she was.  
  
She hadn`t told anyone about it yet, and she wasn`t planning on telling anyone unless there was a good reason to tell, because she wanted it to be something that was her secret, and she wasn`t on speaking terms with anyone at the moment.  
  
Hermione sighed as she tried to think of someone that she was friends with right now, and sighed again when she realized that there wasn`t anyone at all that she could think of.  
  
Friendships with anyone were limited and she wasn`t ``hanging out`` with anyone at the moment, which made it easy not to spill the beans, but also left her feeling quite alone when she was anywhere.  
  
Hermione tried to remember where her friends - no acquaintances - were at the moment, she tried to piece together the little information that they had given her.  
  
Harry was with his girlfriend, hiding somewhere behind a statue or in a broom closet, eating her face off and planning how he was going to keep her from Hermione, but she had given up. She had given him his own space in return for hers, but she didn`t feel accepted despite how he said they were ``still friends``.  
  
Ron was ``single and looking`` and she talked to him more than she talked to Harry, but not much more. Although Ron was like her brother, he was more of the distant brother that doesn`t spend time with anyone.  
  
Hermione would never be on speaking terms with Malfoy again in her life no matter what she was offered or who wanted her to speak to him. Nothing in the world would make her want to look at him again. He had used her to win a bet? How low was he willing to go before he truly hurt someone more than emotionally?  
  
The worst part for Hermione wasn`t just the fact that he enjoyed things like this, but that for a split second, Hermione had thought that she would be willing to look past everything that she had always been told and seen and believe that he could be a good person.  
  
She hated to admit it to herself, but she had liked how she had felt when she was in his arms, and that scared her, especially because she was supposed to hate him, which she did. How could she like him? He was horrible.  
  
She absolutely hated him.  
  
He found entertainment in other peoples` pain. Hermione didn`t know how he could live with himself after seeing the pain that he pushed onto people, but she supposed that he got used to it.  
  
Annoyed with herself for thinking about Malfoy again, Hermione drug herself out of bed and began digging in her trunk for clothes to wear. She was digging and she found a piece of folded up parchment with her name on the front in rather elegant handwriting, and she reached for it. It certainly hadn`t been there last night.  
  
She tore open the paper and a small envelope fell onto her lap while she read what was written on the parchment.  
  
--  
  
Hermione:  
  
You left this in the hall the other day. I am pretty sure that it`s yours.  
  
--  
  
There was no name at the end, she had no idea who had given this to her, and she was beginning to wonder how they knew that it was her envelope, because SHE didn`t know that it was her envelope.  
  
She turned the envelope over and saw a stamp with a sun and moon alongside a neat scrawl and she thought that he heart was going to stop.  
  
She had bought that stamp years ago at his birthday and given it to him as his `letter signer`, and she had insisted that he sign every single letter with it, even his business letters, and the letters that were on the envelope, everything right down to the way that the I`s were dotted.  
  
It was a letter from her father.  
  
Hermione simply stared at the letter, not knowing what to do. She couldn`t peel her eyes away from it and there was an odd buzzing noise in her ears and she couldn`t think or see.  
  
What was the envelope doing here, it shouldn`t be here. She thought irrationally. Obviously it was for her, so she reached for it and began to look at it for a long amount of time before moving, and even then it was slow.  
  
She began to open it, but then she stopped. Should she open it? What would be the point? It would only make her feel worse, and what if he had died before he finished it? Would she be able to bear looking at an unfinished letter, longing to know what he had intended to say?  
  
How would she handle the words written, knowing that she would never hear him speak to her again, he would never look at her in that loving way again and he would never whisper her name. . . `Mione. . .  
  
She would miss the way her made her feel, the way she felt safe when his arms were around her, hugging her, laughing with her, talking to her in his warm whisper that seemed to make her every trouble vanish.  
  
Tears stung at her eyes and Hermione was determined not to cry. She couldn`t cry. Not now. It wouldn`t be. . . something. There had to be something wrong with it. She would forbid herself from opening it, because there was . . . SOMETHING wrong with it, she didn`t know what, but something was wrong.  
  
Her hands shook as she tried to decide whether she was going to open the envelope or not, and her hands shook so violently that the envelope made rattling noises in her hand. She couldn`t open it. But she had to. But if she opened it, she might read things that she didn`t want to know. Yet, if she didn`t read it, she would never know what it said.  
  
`I won`t.` she thought, and made to put the envelope back in her trunk.  
  
`But that`s what he would have wanted me to do, he would have wanted me to read his letter, and he always read mine.` Hermione countered herself, and she was beginning to think that she was going mental, arguing with herself, but right now, she couldn`t have cared any less.  
  
`But I wasn`t dying.` Hermione protested in her mind, trying to make her last argument seem to be pitiful, but she couldn`t and she knew that she wasn`t going to be able to decide about opening his letter any time soon. It was such a hard thing to decide, and it shouldn`t have been. It should have been so easy to decide.  
  
`But HE was.` Hermione drew an uneven breath and fingered the envelope nervously. Could she stand to read the words written inside of this letter? She could barely stand knowing that he was gone forever, how on earth would she make it through the letter?  
  
She wouldn`t. That was the ultimate solution. She just wouldn`t read the letter, that way she wouldn`t have to know what was in it, and she could invent what she thought it said without facing the truth. She could ignore it and then it would ignore her, Hermione thought unreasonably, and she exhaled quickly.  
  
Hermione pocketed the letter and began her trek to the library. She was going to get to the bottom of the mystery with that room. Yet, even as she thought about the room her thoughts were centered on her father as well.  
  
How could he just be. . . gone?  
  
Hermione put her hand in her pocket and felt the letter inside of it, the paper crinkled when she touched it, and a strange feeling erupted in her stomach, and she wasn`t sure whether it was relief or worry or something different altogether. All that she knew was that it was a strange feeling.  
  
Shaking her head and clearing her mind, Hermione marched purposely toward the library.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione held her breath as she turned the corner, and she half expected to see Draco Malfoy sitting at the table when she turned the corner. She had predicted that she would see his sneering face and have to endure his snide comments while she tried to keep the hidden room a secret.  
  
Hermione didn`t know whether she wanted to see him or not, but relief washed over her when he wasn`t there.  
  
Thoughts of her father entered her mind again, but she pushed them to the back of her mind, she had other things that she was doing right now, she didn`t have time for thoughts of things that she couldn`t change.  
  
Hermione looked around to make sure that there was no one looking at her and she walked into the Restricted Section, and when she reached the shelf that was positioned against the wall, she looked for the book that she had pulled out before, but it was no where to be seen.  
  
Shrugging and not yet giving up hope, Hermione reached for a random book, but was downcast when nothing happened. Perhaps she would never get into that room again. All she would have were the memories of the room, and that wasn`t good enough for her. She had to get in again.  
  
She was beginning to work with maniac enthusiasm, and she couldn`t get through, but she was determined.  
  
~+~  
  
After a half an hour of trying, Hermione slumped onto the floor in a defeated sort of way. There was no way that she was going to get into that room again because nothing worked.  
  
Anger began to course through her veins like poison and she was beginning to think that anger was a sort of poison that littered your soul and made you hurt innocent people and people that you loved without meaning to.  
  
Why couldn`t she get through into that room again? She grabbed a random book and made to throw it, but there was no book in her hand when she looked back, and when she took a closer observation on what her body was going, she realized that she was spinning like mad.  
  
Hermione was flung into a room, but it was different than the one before. She saw the knife that had been dripping in blue blood, but it was in motion, and it pierced the air and stopped with a thud, as though it had hit a victim, and the hilt was drug backward three inches.  
  
The blood near the handle was red, but the rest was coated in blue, and Hermione screamed, although she didn`t realize that she was. Her mind was completely blank and she couldn`t fully comprehend everything that her senses were picking up, she was confused and dazed.  
  
She thought that whatever was happening was over, but then something jarred her senses and told her that she was completely wrong.  
  
She heard moaning and ghostly voices were bouncing off the walls, she heard screaming words, and then the noise stopped. Blood spouted onto the floor and pooled, but she still saw no body or people or any reason of why any of this should be happening. There wasn`t a soul in the room beside herself.  
  
Before she had time to comprehend what happened next, the knife flew toward the opposite wall, as though it were thrown, right toward where Hermione was, and she had no time to move out of its path.  
  
Hermione screwed her eyes shut, awaiting the impact of the knife somewhere on her body, bringing pain and more trips to the hospital wing, but it never came.  
  
When she opened her eyes the knife was lying on the floor, coated in shining red blood, and Hermione thought that she was going to be sick. What WAS that? What was going on? How was this happening?  
  
She scrambled backward, trying to find a way out of the room, but upon finding no exit, she panicked. How was she going to get back to where it was safe? She didn`t like this room anymore. Before, when she was here the first time, nothing had been animate and it had been frightening enough with the skeletons and torture chamber look, but now, it was too much.  
  
Knives moving, blood dripping, unseen voices whispering and screaming. Hermione found herself screaming again as a jet of fire escaped and flew around the room, and she groped backward for something, anything. She needed to get out of this room.  
  
Voices were speaking but she wasn`t straining to listen to them like she would have normally, she was more concerned with the fact that she was scared beyond all belief and she wanted to get AWAY. She needed to get out of this place, and quickly too. She didn`t want to be stuck in here.  
  
Hermione felt the wall melting and she hurled herself into it.  
  
The last thing she remembered thinking was,  
  
`I hope I don`t run into Malfoy.`  
  
~+~  
  
For the second time that year, Hermione awoke in the hospital wing, and she was getting annoyed. She didn`t even know what happened this time, and she was lying in a bed without anything wrong with her.  
  
Hermione started to turn and she thought that her chest had caught on fire. A glance down told her that she must have broken a few ribs or something, because she was in more pain than she had ever thought was possible to endure and still be alive. It felt like her chest was being ripped open.  
  
As she positioned herself back down onto the pillow just as the door opened. For a few seconds, the door shielded the person or people that were walking into the room, but then the door closed and she saw two boys, shuffling their feet, slowly making their way over to her.  
  
Harry looked ashamed and Ron looked embarrassed. She thought the door was going to close and awaited the sound, but no sound came. Neville slouched in, closely followed by Seamus. Hermione stared at the group of them, wondering why they were all in here now.  
  
Lavender and Parvati glided in, giggling about something and their lips never stopped talking for a second. They seemed to have gone shopping and were boasting about some new hair product and nail job or something that completely uninterested Hermione.  
  
The door swung shut with a loud clang and boom, and everyone crowded around the bed looked afraid to talk to her, as though it would kill her.  
  
``Hi. . . `` Hermione prompted, trying to get an answer out of them or something that would tell her why they were all visiting her. What was going on that she didn`t know about.  
  
``Hermione. . .`` Ron said, and he trailed off.  
  
``We have to talk to you.`` Harry said, filling in the sentence for Ron, and Hermione had the feeling that they had planned this whole thing.  
  
``The fifth years in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Slytherin are going on an exchange trip-`` Seamus began, and then Neville interjected.  
  
``But you can`t go, because you`re prefect.``  
  
``Ron`s a prefect.`` Hermione pointed out.  
  
``Yes,`` Parvati said, but she looked at Hermione pitingly. ``But he is going to resign, he doesn`t want the job, and besides, they needed Quiddich men-`` Lavender and Parvati broke off into giggles while Hermione rolled her eyes impatiently.  
  
``Why do they need Quiddich men?`` Hermione asked.  
  
``Because it was originally a Quiddich exchange program.`` Ron said.  
  
``So, all of the fifth years are going now?`` Her question was ignored and Neville turned to address Hermione.  
  
``And we`ll be gone until after the OWLS.`` Hermione`s mind froze. OWLS? She had completely forgotten about the OWLS. How long until they started? What did she have to study? How much time could she schedule in to study? Would it be able to fit in around working on the project for Dumbledore and her other homework, not to mention the fact that her life was being thrown into disarray.  
  
Another thought hit her mind, and she felt hope rising inside of her at an alarming rate.  
  
``Then. . . Malfoy, he`ll be gone, right?`` Hermione asked hopefully, but immediately wished she hadn`t. Parvati and Lavender began giggling incessantly and Hermione wished to hit herself in the head so that she coudln`t hear them, but she couldn`t. It may cause alarm.  
  
``No. . . Hermione, he`s prefect.``  
  
``Auuuagggkkkk.`` Hermione said, and she wasn`t sure what that noise meant, but it wasn`t happy.  
  
Malfoy wasn`t going? That would mean that there would be very few fifth years left in Hogwarts, so she would, most likely, be stuck with him in every, single class that she attended.  
  
Hermione moaned.  
  
``Is EVERYONE in fifth year going?`` Hermione asked, and Harry looked shifty. ``No. . .`` He said slowly, and Hermione couldn`t figure out why he was so shifty. What was he avoiding telling her?  
  
``Who else is staying?`` Hermione asked. ``Anyone from Gryffindor?`` Hermione asked, and again, she got more shifty looks from Harry.  
  
``For God`s sake Harry, you look so shifty, WHAT aren`t you telling me?`` Hermione asked in an exasperated tone, and everyone present got a strange look on their faces, and it appeared to be all Neville, Seamus, Lavender and Parvati could do to refrain from bursting out laughing at her, and she had no idea why they would be laughing her in the first place.  
  
``Well . . . see, uh, I, uh, can`t, uh, tell you, uh, why, uh. . . ehm?`` Now it was Hermione`s turn to suppress laughter. He was a horrible liar too.  
  
``Harry, when WILL you learn how to be more convincing?`` Hermione asked, and Seamus and Neville could hold their laughter no longer.  
  
``Uh. . . later.`` Harry said, sounding quite embarrassed.  
  
``What are you trying to hide-``  
  
``Later Hermione.`` Seamus managed to say between hearty laughs, and Hermione was getting the strong feeling that they were all setting her up for something, and she didn`t like it.  
  
``We just wanted to tell you to get better soon and we`ll see you when we get back.`` People leaned down for hugs, and Hermione pretended to smile and pretended that it didn`t hurt when they hugged her, but with each hug her ribs hurt more and more.  
  
When she watched the last person leave she slumped back onto the pillows in pain. She couldn`t believe how much four hugs hurt, but her ribs now felt as though they were piercing her lungs.  
  
Hermione almost had her eyes closed, and it looked like they were if someone was watching her, when she saw someone move. She kept her eyes as closed as she could and she could still see somewhat, and she watched the person.  
  
She couldn`t tell who it was through her eyelashes at first, but then she saw Dean Thomas walk over and put something on her nightstand and then rush out the door faster than she had seen anyone leave a room in a long time.  
  
Curiosity was coursing through her and she contemplated opening whatever he had left on her night stand, but she was getting tired.  
  
Curiosity and tiredness battled, and tiredness won.  
  
As Hermione drifted off to sleep, she remembered her dad and thought she was going to start crying, but was alarmed to find that all she felt was a gaping hole in her heart.  
  
No tears leaked from her eyes, but she wished they had. The pain that she was feeling inside was far worse than tears could show.  
  
~+~  
  
A/N: So, what do you think? The internet is working at my house again, so I am happy!!  
  
I decided I want to make it to 250 reviews, maybe even 300!!! That would be SOOO cool! Please R/R!  
  
-*-*-  
  
ATTENTION REVIEWERS:  
  
If you want me to e-mail you when I update, please send an e-mail to fanficfreak03@hotmail.com and in the subject put, `Update Alert` so that I know you want me to e-mail you when I update. I am losing track of who asked me to e-mail them, so please let me know when you want me to e-mail you.  
  
Thanks~  
  
---  
  
TEST: "Hello, this is a test, alrigh'?"  
  
--- 


	22. Running

Chapter 20  
  
Hermione stood outside, along with the majority of Hogwarts school, and she waved to the carriages that were rolling away down the dusty road. Hermione hadn't been told where they were going, and she didn't want to know, because she would be reminded of what she was missing, and it didn't make any sense that she was missing it in the first place, all because she was a Hogwarts prefect.  
  
She waved at Harry and Ron along with the majority of the fifth years as she watched her peers rumbling down the road, happy smiles on their faces, all going to the train station to meet the people that were taking them to wherever they were going. She still thought it was unfair that she wasn`t going, and she suspected that it had something to do with Dumbledore's preferences, but she couldn't be sure.  
  
She didn't even know where they were going, but she knew that she wanted to go, she didn't want to be stuck here in Hogwarts, doing the same old thing day after day week after week. She wanted something interesting and exciting to happen, and she wanted it to happen soon.  
  
As the carriages rolled out of sight, Hermione stood to the side and observed who was left in her year, because they were going to be her classmates for the time being, even if she hated them, as she did Draco Malfoy.  
  
She wished that she had been allowed to go, or that he had been allowed to go, she didn't want to be in the same place as him, and she was sure that she was going to have the worst time of her life and it wasn't even her choice.  
  
She saw Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, and some other girl in Slytherin for the Slytherins, all of the Hufflepuffs, her "wonderful friends" from Ravenclaw that had left the Advanced Transfiguration classes and dormitory and as far as she could see, she was the only student from Gryffindor that was left at the castle.  
  
"All students, please make your way into the castle, the remainder of the day will be free from classes and schedules, please feel free to roam the Hogwarts grounds, first five floors or go to the Quiddich pitch to play a scrimmage which will be refereed by Madam Hooch." A clear voice rang out over the students, and she didn't know whose voice it was, nor did she particularly care.  
  
Hermione decided that she was going to go do some research on the time reversal spells and things, but she made a silent promise to herself that she was, on no accounts and for no reason in the world, going into the room that she had found. She had decided that she wasn't going to go in there ever. All she knew about it was that it appeared to be possessed and knives flew, and that was a good enough reason for her to not go inside of the room.  
  
Hermione took a detour down to the Advanced Transfiguration dormitory to grab her things and then the began the long walk to the library, wondering whether she would make it there anytime soon.  
  
~+~  
  
"Hey, Mudblood why-" Malfoy began, but he never got any words out past 'why' seeing as Hermione completely lost control of all of her temper that she had been holding in for a while.  
  
"LET ME DO YOU A FAVOR AND TELL YOU TO SHUT UP ALREADY, ALRIGHT? JUST. SHUT. UP. S-H-U-T U-P, ALRIGHT NOW? SHUT YOUR BIG PIE HOLE AND SHUT THE HELL UP, ALRIGHT MORON? SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!" Hermione then walked away, completely composed and was in the library in no time at all.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione sat down at the table and pulled a rather large pile of books toward her. She flipped open the first book and skimmed it mindlessly while she was thinking of other things.  
  
Why couldn't Dumbledore have let her go on the exchange program. If what he said about her and Malfoy was true, then he should be powerful enough alone to go and find the information himself, why did she need to be there too? He would have jumped at the chance of working alone, why didn't Dumbledore agree?  
  
Hermione still hadn't been TOLD that it was him that had decided that she and Malfoy were to stay behind, but she was almost certain that it was him because there seemed to be no other reason that made sense in her mind or from any point of view that she "tried".  
  
She was indignant because her privileges seemed to have been stripped from her, one after the other, she was losing everything that made Hogwarts worth coming for - friends, trips, regular classes.  
  
On top of it all, Malfoy seemed to think that this was an invitation to be a complete ass, so he was worse than normal, and she had sent him to the hospital wing five times in the last three hours.  
  
Sighing, Hermione turned back to her work.  
  
~+~  
  
Seven hours after she had begun studying, Hermione found that she couldn't think anymore, her mind was jammed with useless information and she felt like she was going to explode.  
  
She slammed her boook shut and stared in front of her. The answer she needed had to be right in front of her, it just HAD to.  
  
How could you go back in time if it was past, done, over? There wasn't a way to reverse time, because there was no record of it, it made absolutely no sense, and how could people CHANGE the future, but if they went back again, it was normal again?  
  
Hermione whacked her head on the table a good few times trying to clear her mind but it didn't work.  
  
She had gone back in time herself, but she still was no closer to understanding it than anyone else was, and that disturbed her. It was like saying you had eaten a Popsicle but you didn't know what it tasted like.  
  
Hermione sighed. She NEEDED to understand this, it was something that was dragging the corner of her stomach, tying her mind in knots, twisting her thoughts. (no rhyme intended)  
  
Hermione whacked her head on the table one more time before she got up and stormed down the corridor.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione threw her bag forward and walked over to the couch where she collapsed onto it, but immediately jumped up, yelping.  
  
She whipped around and saw that she had allowed herself to collapse on none other than Draco Malfoy.  
  
"Why did you sit on me, Granger?" he asked her, spite on his every feature and a smirk all over his face.  
  
"Because you're so ugly I thought you were a cushion." Hermione said sarcastically and she rolled her eyes. She kicked angrily at the couch and didn't give him the satisfaction of knowing how much it hurt when she did, that would only broaden his smirk and she didn't need that now or ever.  
  
"You couldn't see me?"  
  
"Is it my fault that you MATCH the STINKIN' COUCH, Moron?" Hermione asked indignantly and she scowled back at him.  
  
"Why do you always call me moron?" he asked her, and to anyone else this would have seemed like an innocent question, but she had had much experience in this particular field of Malfoy.  
  
"Because it starts with an "m"."  
  
Malfoy rolled his eyes and glared at her.  
  
"I'm not sorry that your father died. He probably deserved it, didn't he? What did he do, trip over his shoelace?" He asked her, his smirk could have never been bigger and she felt angry and she could feel herself trembling with anger.  
  
As she examined her feelings she realized that she wasn't trembling with anger, she was shivering. Shivering, but she didn't know why.  
  
She turned away from him, feeling tears stinging in her eyes, her arms hugged to her chest tightly, her entire body shivering and her breathing becoming erratic and shaky. She couldn't stand here, she couldn't take this from him.  
  
She didn't even throw an insult at him, she just began to run toward the dormitory where she planned to lock the door and stay away from people. She couldn't be around anyone anymore.  
  
She had just begun healing, she had just become used to knowing that her father wasn't coming back, but then he had reopened her wounds, cut her along her scars, ripped her soul a little more.  
  
She seemed to be watching her soul unravel while she lived, her feelings, emotions and thoughts slowly becoming nothingness, flowing away from her, leaving her grasp.  
  
How could he watch her have this pain? How could he stand to know that he caused her this hurt? She didn't understand how he didn't see how he ruined people's lives and shred their beliefs, slit their understanding of everything and opened wounds.  
  
Pure hatred coursed through her and she whipped around. Her wand was in her hand and she had no memory of reaching for it or feeling her fingers grasp around it. All she knew was that she wanted to cause him pain.  
  
Give him pain. Cause him pain that he would never forget. She was going to show him that he was never again going to mess with Hermione Granger.  
  
Hermione strode over to him, her wand pointed at his chest. She had to cause him excruciating pain, pain beyond his wildest dreams. Pain that could rival the pain that was erupting in her heart.  
  
"You like causing pain?" she asked in a deathly cold whisper that was accompanied by a steely glare. "You like watching people in pain? Well I can give you some."  
  
Malfoy, for the first time in his life, showed genuine fear on every feature in his face. She could see the pained expression on his face, he was obviously trying to decide what to do. Should he retaliate or let her beat him. His face also showed that he was registering what she had just said. How much pain was she going to cause him?  
  
Hermione's wand was mere inches from Malfoy's chest and she was trembling with complete and utter anger.  
  
"Crucio." She whispered, and she watched, in what she thought was glee, as he crumpled immediately to the ground in pain, howling and rolling. Seconds later, though, he seemed to be out of pain, and he stood up, shakily, and stared at her, disbelief written across his face plainer than any other emotion.  
  
Hermione dropped her wand and the scene seemed to play out in front of her eyes over and over and over again.  
  
She had used an unforgivable curse. . .  
  
On Malfoy. . .  
  
The Crutacious Curse. . .  
  
The only curses worse were the Imperious Curse and the Killing Curse. . .  
  
Hermione dropped her wand and ran in a dead run out the door, down the stairs, through the hall, down the entrance stairs, through the entrance doors.  
  
She didn't know anything. All she knew at the moment was that she needed to be as far away from people as she could. She needed to run. Away. Far away.  
  
Something told her that as long as she ran she wouldn't be in trouble. She couldn't get caught. Never.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione thought that she had been running for hours, all though it may have only been minutes, it may as well have been years, she didn't know where she was. She was somewhere.  
  
Seconds later her mind told her that she was in the Forbidden Forest.  
  
Sounds filled the clearing, and she whipped around, watching the trees expectantly. Something was coming.  
  
~+~  
  
A/N: Sorry this is a short chapter, I have to go camping and I had 1 hr to write. I will update ASAP, RIGHT when I get back.  
  
R/R!!! 


	23. Uhoh and a shocker

Mudpie : Thanks so much, and Hermione just snapped! Did I make Draco seem mean enough? Please continue to read!  
  
Purple Spotted Hedwig: Evil, yet you feel sorry for her? Hmm. . . that's funny! What's wrong with being cliffhanger-y? I like it!!!  
  
Chinagurl : It's good to know you like every chapter, I like that kind of reaction!!! I did have fun camping, and I hope you like this chapter.  
  
Dreaming One : Hey, I was reading the reviews as they came in, and I just wanted to tell you that I am not a teen, I am a tween. . .I am 12 years old. . . ALMOST at teen! I can't believe the amount of compliments that you gave me, do you really think that I am that good? I never imagined that my writing would make it to 100+ reviews, and here I am at almost 250! I must bee too self-critical or something, because I really didn't think that this story was too good, oh well. I am glad to know that you like the story, and I enjoy writing it, so everyone's happy. Please don't die, here's an update!  
  
Trueluv438 : Wow, you like it too. This is a record. I posted a story that was like this before and all I got was flames. I like this crowd of people MUCH more. =D  
  
Lorien : Amazing chapter? Goody! I like thinking that I have talent, but I hope this chapter is up to your expectations.  
  
Luvvrgurrrrl : I appreciate the time you spent to take reviewing my story, but I would appreciate it more if you were to be constructive.  
  
Artemis MoonClaw : You're in suspense? My job is done!  
  
Darkmoon of Shadows : Yes, Hermione IS in a lot of trouble, isn't she? I like the compliments! =D Hope you like this chapter.  
  
Tabii : I came back and I finished this chapter!!!  
  
Becky : Here's More More More.  
  
ILUVRONWEASLEY : Ohh, I don't know, why don't you read and find out whether she gets caught or not? Sorry it was short, I had 1 hr to write the chapter.  
  
Buffylives : I know, he totally deserved it, didn't he?  
  
Love-princess : exceptional? That is a REAL compliment. I haven't been on the receiving end of that word for a while.  
  
Blueamber : She's evil? That's bad! What IS Draco gonna do? Here's a new chapter!!!  
  
Freakyfairy : I don't know, I honestly don't know. The words just kinda come out of my mind and I type them. Sometimes I don't even know what I want to have happen in the chapter, I just write.  
  
Cherryplum11 : You're at a loss of words? I perfectly executed that cliffie? SWEET!!! Please enjoy this chapter.  
  
Ickle Ronniekins Girlie!! : Sorry I had to make you antsy!!! Here's more!!! Girl power? LOL! I updated, updated.  
  
Alright, well I finished this chapter as soon as I could, the next one will also come ASAP. Sorry some of you don't like cliffies. . . it's the only way to make you come back!!! =D  
  
Enjoy!  
  
---  
  
Chapter 21  
  
Something was coming. Something was coming. Something was coming. It was the only clear thought that ran through her mind and the only thing that her brain could process as she stood there, stiff and alert, waiting for whatever was there to come out into the open.  
  
All of her joints were locked as was her mind. Nothing worked, she couldn't scream, she couldn't breathe, she couldn't think, she could barely see. Her body seemed to be falling into shock or unconsciousness, she wasn't sure which it was, but WAS sure that none of them would be a positive reaction.  
  
Hermione was barely breathing and her mind was racing frantically, which was an improvement from the seemingly permenant freeze-up it had been stuck in, as she stood and expected the worst to happen.  
  
It was probably the Ministry of Magic, coming to get her, scoop her up in some wizard police vehicle, and take her to Azkaban for life because she used an unforgivable curse.  
  
Hermione shuddered. She still couldn't believe that she had used that spell. She would have never thought that she would be capable of doing something like that and she was in a complete state of shock that she couldn't fully comprehend the enormity of the situation seeing as she was still worried about what was going to happen to her when someone caught her.  
  
What WOULD they do to her? She wasn't old enough to be killed, so would they lock her up until she WAS old enough to be killed? The thought worried Hermione but she didn't have too much time to think about it because she was more worried about the present, not the future.  
  
Nothing was moving, she couldn't hear any noises. Hermione whipped around a few times, trying to find a single trace of something that would prove its presence to Hermione, but she saw nothing.  
  
Hermione was lured into a false sense of security for a minute, because the noises stopped and she was left standing in total silence that was worse than the noises had been, because now she couldn't expect anything.  
  
Hermione waited with baited breath, since she was unable to breathe freely and she could feel her hands and knees shaking, her lips trembling and her mind ready to scream.  
  
She was reminded strongly of a horror movie, partly because she WAS in horror and partly because in every horror movie she had seen, there was always a deathly quiet moment before whatever was lurking in the bushes or shadows struck, and she didn't want to be the valiant but unlucky corpse that was discovered the next day or night by the very unlucky campers or hikers.  
  
Even as she thought this, she couldn't help the small smile that somewhat crept up her lips at the rushed thoughts that were swimming through her mind. At any other time they would have seemed so comical, but now they seemed highly realistic.  
  
Hermione started to sigh, thinking that the worst was over, but she had a sharp intake of breath as the bushes rumbled around her and she froze again like a deer in the headlights of a car, right before it was hit.  
  
Without much warning, four people burst out of the bushes, wearing the brightest orange color they could possibly be wearing without being on fire, and they all had their wands pointed toward Hermione, as though they were expecting her to try to kill all of them with her non-existent wand which she wished she had at the moment.  
  
She stared at them, trying to read their expressions without appearing to be cocky or looking like she was planning on hurting them but she couldn't gauge much from their set expressions, it seemed they had planned on this reaction from convicts.  
  
It hit Hermione hard when she realized that she was now going to be classified as a convict. She had committed a crime, and she was going to go to prison, whether it was a wizard prison or not didn't matter.  
  
Her mother. . .  
  
She would be crushed, her perfect daughter was going to wizard prison for committing one of the worst crimes known to the wizarding world, and even if her mother didn't fully understand it, she knew that she would be highly disappointed in her, and that almost seemed to be a worse fate than going to prison.  
  
Hermione turned her mind back to the more pressing issues, such as the four, bright orange people that were pointing their wands at her. She felt like sobbing, but that would cause them to act.  
  
Hermione didn't know what to do. If she moved, they were likely to stun her and four stunners wouldn't leave her much of a survival margin to go by, and she wanted to live to see tomorrow, but at the moment it wasn't looking so good for that particular road, seeing as they all thought that she was a murderer or something far worse.  
  
She thought, for one brief moment, that she should raise her hands like the muggle police make you, but in the wizarding world, this would be a bad idea, seeing as this could be a way for Wandless magicians to cast a spell, and this movement would also earn her stuns, which was what she was trying to avoid.  
  
"Drop your wand on the ground and take three steps back." One of them commanded, and Hermione nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of their voices in the forest. The entire clearing seemed to be waiting to see what would happen, the tension thick enough to slice.  
  
"I-I don't have m-my wand." Hermione said in the quietest voice she could manage, and she was trembling from head to toe, wondering what would happen to her, whether they would believe her, why they were here so quickly, her thoughts were racing frantically, trying to grasp something that made sense, but she couldn't seem to understand anything, and she was sure they weren't going to believe her. Why would she be in this forest, without a wand? She would have to be a complete idiot, and she was fairly sure that she saw disbelieving commentary looks flying between the men, which didn't appear to be helping her case.  
  
"Drop your wand and step back." The same man commanded again, this time louder and in a more commanding tone as though waiting her to follow his orders immediately, and her thoughts and great fears were confirmed. They thought that she was hiding her wand from them, waiting for them to turn their backs and lose their attention span and then she was going to strike.  
  
"Look, uh," Hermione paused, what was she supposed to call this man?  
  
"Sir, I don-" Hermione began again, but immediately broke off when there was a loud crack that echoed through the small clearing and when she looked over she saw a shimmering light and Professor Dumbledore was standing there, calmer than she had ever seen him before in her life, it was as though he were on his way to tea, in front of the four orange men, staring down at them, and unless she was mistaken, she had seen one of them tremble and she couldn't blame him.  
  
Albus Dumbledore, glaring down at you was scary enough as the situation already was, but this man obviously knew that it was impossible to Apparate within the Hogwarts grounds, as Hermione knew too from reading Hogwarts A History, yet she had just stood there and watched him do it, and seconds later she heard someone crashing through the bushes, which caused her to jump.  
  
She whipped around enough to see the moving bushes and she felt her heart sink lower than it had been before.  
  
The Minister of Magic himself had decided to join the small congregational party that had begun gathering in the small clearing, and when he saw Dumbledore he pointed at him and said something to the wizard nearest him and then she watched the wizard pale instantly as though he were a traffic light.  
  
Slowly, the man that Fudge had talked to walked up to Dumbledore and held his wand feebly in his hand, pointed at Dumbledore, although his expression showed total and complete fear.  
  
"I-I-I h-have o-orders t-to take you t-to Azkab-ban." He managed to stutter, and the amusement that played in Dumbledore's eyes seemed to make the man more nervous than before. Surely anyone that found the idea of Azkaban amusing wasn't a force to be reckoned with.  
  
"Cornelius, if you would like to take me to Azkaban for charges that have not been made known, then I am afraid I shall not permit you to." Dumbledore said calmly as though they were discussing the matter over a cup of tea.  
  
"I can do WHATEVER I want." Fudge blustered. "I can-"  
  
But whatever else Fudge was able to do was lost in the explosion of leaves that cascaded down behind Hermione. She turned her head and immediately felt a binding spell hit her, apparently the people had thought that she was trying to run away, and all she saw as she fell was silvery- blonde hair.  
  
Malfoy, she thought, wondering why on earth he was even here. Why was he joining the now growing party in the forbidden forest? And it was just like him too, arriving in the explosion of leaves, making sure that people would notice his entrance, it was something that his father would have done as well, it was a sort of arriving ceremony.  
  
But why was he here, and now of all times? The realization hit her like a ton of bricks, and her stomach may as well have been in her feet.  
  
To incriminate her, how could she have overlooked this? He would want to be here in order to make sure that she was given the most powerful punishment that she could possibly be given.  
  
He would milk the experience for all that it was worth and then some, all because he wanted to get Hermione in more trouble than she was in already, which was hard to believe, yet she was sure it would happed. He wanted her expelled, he hated her with the same passion that she hated him.  
  
Words were exchanged, and it annoyed her that she couldn't hear them at all.  
  
Hermione wanted to look up and see what was happening because she could hear quiet voices, but she couldn't move because of the bindings that were holding her to the ground, and she wished that she DID have her wand.  
  
She could feel frustration welling up inside of her. He had DESERVED the curse absolutely, she didn't care whether it was illegal or not anymore, he had completely and fully deserved to receive the curse, and she didn't feel one little bit sorry for using it, in fact, she felt that she wasn't in the wrong.  
  
It was self-defense, not physical defense, it was emotional defense. If only someone could see how he tore her up inside . . .  
  
The voices were getting louder, but she still couldn't understand what they were saying, and she could tell that Fudge was losing his nerve and Dumbledore found this quite amusing, all by the tones in their voices.  
  
"-codswallop -" She could hear in between mumbling and babbling and she felt annoyed. Fudge wasn't one to believe anyone, even if what they said was the truth, it was like a disorder with him.  
  
"Ridiculous - allowing students to practice ILLEGAL curses-" Fudge blustered, and Malfoy cut in which froze Hermione's nerves and pierced her mind with an ice dagger. What was he going to say? How was it going to affect what happened to her? She was almost unwilling to hear what he was going to say next, afraid that it would be horrible, yet she needed to know.  
  
"We weren't practicing anything at all, Minister." He said plaintively, and Hermione could almost feel as everyone's gaze landed on Malfoy. He would like this, all of this attention being fixed on him, it was his thing to be the center of attention, the main focus. This was why he had come, not to make her punishment worse, to get attention of important officials.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes as she thought this, wondering how she could have though, however briefly, that he was trying to help her. He never had helped her, and he never showed any sign of trying to be kind to anyone, why would he start NOW of all times? And for HER of ALL people. She was a mudblood to him and that was all, nothing more, nothing less.  
  
"What was going on in that room, Mr. Malfoy?" Fudge asked persistantly, and Malfoy inhaled deeply and obviously, even for Hermione who was still lying on the ground. She resisted the temptation to roll her eyes again, although nobody would have seen.  
  
"Not much, just some studying and such." He said casually and Hermione scoffed. Like he would even begin to believe that. It was a very unconvincing argument even from her point of view.  
  
"Then why did our dark detectors tell us an illegal Crutacious Curse was cast on the premises of 211456980738 lot, 1175869837 expediential, wand registration number 11253-513654-2151-245456-52555 ac/dc/gc/hc registration- "  
  
"Cornelius, if you would like an answer-" Dumbledore began, but Fudge continued rambling on.  
  
"Wood lot number xrp215669qqw5, elapsed time between use and cut 451hrs:56min, heartstring derived from animal number 1456-ffgt-54454-ert-"  
  
"Cornelius-"  
  
"Sold in store premises xsq995141-45-"  
  
"CORNELIUS!" Fudge stopped and stared at Dumbledore with awe, and Hermione WOULD have, yet she was still 'bolted' to the ground which made no sense to her at all, because they had no charges against her whatsoever, just a jumble of numbers and letters that meant nothing to the normal person.  
  
"Ahem. . . What happened with the Crutacious Curse?" Fudge asked timidly and he looked at Dumbledore nervously with every word. Hermione held her breath, waiting for the inevitable, then decided against it. She may as well breathe.  
  
Draco Malfoy would tell the Minister of Magic, with glee, that she had cast an illegal spell on him and would ask for her to be sent, permanently, to Azkaban while he gloated about it.  
  
It was the perfect time for him to sell her out, to prove that he didn't care about her at all, to show that she was a pathetic worm to him. She closed her eyes and waited for gruff arms to drag her away. She would never see Harry or Ron again, she would never see anyone again. . . except for those blasted dementors.  
  
"Oh, I was fooling around and I wanted to see what the Crutacious Curse felt like, so I cast it on myself." Hermione stopped breathing, fearing that her breathing had impaired her hearing before and that she had heard wrong.  
  
"Nothing that involved Ms. Granger?" Fudge asked incredulously, as though he didn't want to believe it, and Hermione had a feeling that it had something to do with the fact that she was muggle born. She had never liked Fudge much to begin with, and here he was, not believing something because of her parentage.  
  
"Nothing that involved Granger." Draco repeated definitely, and Hermione felt an odd feeling explode in her stomach, something that had relief and confusion mixed with other feelings and she didn't know how to describe them, so she gave up trying to.  
  
A long period of silence elapsed, and Hermione felt like years passed before someone made a sound, it was like everyone was trying to gauge the believability and accuracy of his words.  
  
"I-I-I-I. . . e-excuse me?" Fudge managed to stutter, and Hermione fought the urge to laugh. That man always seemed to be clueless.'  
  
"Nothing. That. Involved. Granger." Malfoy said slowly, and Fudge still seemed oblivious to the message that the words were giving.  
  
"So, she . . . did . . . nothing . . ." Fudge said slowly, and Hermione tried to smack her forehead and then she remembered that she was bound by ropes.  
  
"Yes." Malfoy said emphatically and he sniggered.  
  
"I don't believe it. I refuse to believe it." Fudge said defiantly and he started ordering his men to pack Hermione up when Malfoy spoke again, his voice clear and scathingly cold, even for him.  
  
"Do you dare disbelieve the word of a Malfoy?" he asked in a commanding and robust tone, and there was another patch of silence, and Hermione wished that she could have seen Fudge's face, being ordered around by a fifteen-year-old student, but she couldn't and she was left to imagine the look on his face.  
  
"So sorry." Fudge said simply, and Hermione was left on the forest floor to hear the men attempt to Apparate before they crashed away through the bushes leaving Hermione wondering what had really happened right in front of her.  
  
~+~  
  
Dumbledore held up his hand to stop the stem of explanations that were spewing from Draco and Hermione's mouths the second they entered his office, and Hermione fell silent, although she felt that she would be in dire need of defending herself soon.  
  
"I understand that Mr. Malfoy did NOT," Dumbledore said, and the looks on both of their faces were shocked. "Cast the Crutacious Curse, and I understand that Miss Granger did." He continued, and Hermione hung her head, awaiting the impending doom that was coming.  
  
"However, I also know that Miss Granger's heart was not set on truly giving Mr. Malfoy true pain, because if she had wanted to, she could have killed Mr. Malfoy with the Crutacious Curse." Dumbledore said this as though it were a light matter, but it couldn't have been any bigger in Hermione's eyes.  
  
Speaking of which. . .  
  
Hermione's eyes could have only been bigger had they been out of her head and on the floor, her mouth was hanging open, and Malfoy looked horrified at the thought of dying or maybe it was the thought that she could have killed him. She didn't know which it was.  
  
It was obvious that neither of then truly believed the power that Dumbledore was telling them they had, it was too much for their minds to grasp, and she had a feeling that neither one of them wanted to know what they really were capable of, Hermione wanted to be a blissful and carefree kid, but she knew it was impossible.  
  
"I have said it before, and I will say it again, you two are the most powerful pair of students that have graced the corridors of Hogwarts since the time of the Hogwarts founders." Dumbledore gave them a long and meaningful look, and Hermione couldn't tell what it was supposed to mean.  
  
"I cannot have you two hurting or killing each other, as it would crumble the very fabric of the universe." Dumbledore's talk was ended by total silence, and Hermione's jaw couldn't have dropped any further than it already was.  
  
She had the ability to crumble the fabric of the universe? That was scary and unbelievable. She was more than she had ever thought that she was, and that was not a good thing. What if she obliterated the universe by accident?  
  
"I-we. . ." she stuttered stupidly and Malfoy was unable to speak at all. Dumbledore was looking at them, a familiar twinkle in his eyes behind his half-moon spectacles.  
  
He seemed to have an odd aura around himself, somehow giving Hermione the message that he had hidden regrets and secrets that nobody else in the world knew, it was as though he knew things that would kill anyone else to know, and she didn't doubt it at all. She had always had the feeling that Dumbledore was as close to immortal as a human could be.  
  
"So. . ." Malfoy said slowly, after a few more brief spells of silence. "What you're saying is. . ." Malfoy drug out his words.  
  
"We're really powerful. . . and if one of us dies. . ." he paused again, and it was all Hermione's brain could do to keep up with what was happening, which was sad.  
  
"It could be a big problem?" he said this all in a disconnected manner and it appeared that his mind wasn't up to speed on these new advancements, and neither was Hermione's. She awaited Dumbledore's answer with baited breath. She needed to understand what was going on in her life, because she didn't at the moment.  
  
"What I am saying, Mr. Malfoy, is that in your souls lie answers to the universe, the very keys to time and space, why do you think I assigned you to the project I did? Did you think it was a fluke? And why do you two think it is necessary for the two of you to work together? Surely you didn't think that I find joy in putting mortal enemies together." Dumbledore said this in a light manner, yet the impact of his words hit Hermione hard.  
  
"So we have the power to destroy the universe?"  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione's mind was numb. She could destroy the universe. She could unravel time. She could kill every living soul in the universe. It was too much for her mind to handle.  
  
She walked up to the Advanced Transfiguration common room and glanced over at Crookshanks who was curled up on the armchair nearest to the fire. She walked over to him and stroked him.  
  
"What would I do without you?" she asked him and he purred in response.  
  
The truth about it was that she didn't know what she would do without Crookshanks. He had been her single source of comfort when her father was looming in her mind and she needed to speak to someone she would hold him in her lap and he would let her sob into his fur.  
  
His purring drew her from her thoughts and she smiled as she stroked him more. She loved him, he was one of the only things that was left for her to love now, and she wanted him to be here forever.  
  
Smiling, Hermione fell asleep with Crookshanks in her lap.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione awoke to the gruff shaking of someone and when she opened her eyes, the vision of Professor McGonagall swam before her eyes. She rubbed them and sat up groggily. She was just starting to wake when she spoke.  
  
"Miss Granger, please report to the Headmaster's office, it's urgent."  
  
~+~  
  
A/N: I am SOOO evil!!! HA! Please read and review! 


	24. At the Hospital

Ickle Ronnikins Girlie : I dunno, why don't you read and find out?  
  
Spaced Out Space Cadet : Am I evil? I only seek to prolong AGOOONY!!! I have updated as soon as possible!!!  
  
Morgan : Finish I shall, sort of. I am not done yet.  
  
Darkmoon of Shadows : Am I good at cliffhangers? COOL! I am happy that you are still happy, and here is the next installment of Reading Your Soul.  
  
Mudpie : He's mean enough? Okie dokie then. It's touching now too? I hope it's not corny touching. You would LIKE to be able to dystroy the universe? Hmm. . .  
  
A random person : I am evil? Hmm, okay. Thanks for liking the Fanfic, hope this chapter is up to your standards.  
  
Lady Scarlettl : I made YOU go insane? No!!! Be sane enough to read more! Scratch that itch and read.  
  
Artemis MoonClaw : Woo hoo! I did my job! Don't worry, I will continue! I love it too!  
  
~The Simon Cowell of Fanfiction.net~ : Yes, more!  
  
ILUVRONWEASLEY : No, cliffhangers are not stupid! They make people come back just to see what happens next! Yes, I agree with Ron's words, don't you?  
  
Freakyfairy : Everyone thinks I am evil. Don't scream, READ.  
  
Slytherinangel922 : Hmm, Slytherin angel? Thanks for the compliments! And read mooore!!!  
  
RebelRikki : I love it too, I will keep writing, and here's what happens next!  
  
Dreaming One: You think I'm evil too? Maybe I am. So, you think I have natural ability? Well, thank you very much, not very many people have told me that before, and it sounds so cool! Yes, I agree, my writing isn't perfect, but I am blissfully unaware of what is wrong with it (hint hint). Now, I don't think that mine is better than yours though, I was reading yours, and it is better than mine. Yes, I am aware that you want romantic development, next chapter, I already had that planned out! I am also happy that you like not knowing what is going on in Draco's head, because that is the way it is going to be! =D I KNOW it was corny, but it was kinda needed for the plot, and PLEASE don't imagine Hermione and Draco as superheroes! That is NOT gonna happen, alright? I've never read the Oracles story, but maybe I will. Also, Dumbledore's lack of punishment will be explained later, and you may think why is CORNY but, oh WELL! I like it, so you can pretend to, or just write a million reasons why it is corny, as long as I get a review =D. I am glad you love the story, and I would like it if you continued reading. I enjoy reading your reviews because they have very helpful comments in them, and some things that I had overlooked suddenly pop up when I read what you have written. Please come back soon!!!  
  
~+~  
  
Alrighty peoples! Here is more.  
  
I would appreciate that you give me some constructive crisicism because it helps me, and any questions you have, ask me and I'll see if I can answer them, or tell you that they come later. (PLEASE ask questions!)  
  
~+~  
  
Chapter 22  
  
"Miss Granger, please report to the Headmaster's office, it's urgent." Professor McGonagall said and she was still shaking Hermione, who was trying to understand why she was being awoken so late at night and she was unaware of what was really happening.  
  
Hermione couldn't function, she couldn't make her legs work, she couldn't make her eyes open more than mere slits in her head. Professor McGonagall disappeared the second she was sure that Hermione was awake. She just swept away out the door in a hurry, leaving Hermione to wonder what was going on.  
  
Hermione couldn't remember much that she thought, although she did remember some of what she was thinking. Looking back on the situation, she plainly remembered thinking that she was supposed to go to the Headmaster's office for some urgent reason and she remembered thinking that she was supposed to be in bed, as the school rules clearly stated every student was not allowed out of their bed after ten o'clock, and that was all of her train of thought that she remembered, which was just as well, because the rest of it would have been disconnected and very irrational.  
  
What would be so important that it would require Professor McGonagall to fetch her in the early dawns of the morning and bring her to the Headmaster's office? How could something be so pressing that she would have to be told now, as opposed to regular school hours?  
  
Her mind wasn't working and she didn't remember what she decided she was really going to do, all of her thoughts were muddled together, but she did remember walking into the wall twice as she attempted to wake up and get herself dressed, however messily dressed she was.  
  
Apparently she decided to go to the Headmaster's office, because Hermione vaguely remembered stumbling down the dimly lit corridor and groggily tripping down the stairs, and barely managing to make it to the Headmaster's office at all.  
  
She couldn't think on her own and she nearly fell asleep while she was walking, but the very second she entered the headmaster's office her mind was awake in an instant and her stomach dropped.  
  
She pushed open the door and walked in slowly, as though she were afraid of what may be on the other side. She cautiously closed the door and made a long process of latching it shut before she turned to look fully at Dumbledore, who was sitting behind his desk, for the first time in her life, he looked tired and old as he truly was.  
  
His face seemed to be contorted into a look of pain and displeasure, but she couldn't be sure, because this man had seen so many different emotions before that she couldn't be sure what he was really feeling and what he was remembering or dwelling on.  
  
Her heart sank as she looked at him. He looked like. . . well. . . he looked like hell had rung and the world was crashing down. He looked weary, an emotion that the brave, Albus Dumbledore seemed immune to feeling, but here he was, feeling the emotion and it was clearly written on his face.  
  
She needed to say something, the silence was beginning to bear down on her and she didn't want it to last. Silence was almost worse than yelling in her book, and she had been enduring a lot of silence lately as she had been alone a lot, reminiscing about her father and remembering happier times in her now bleak looking life.  
  
"Professor . . . sir . . ." Hermione began, but she stopped when she saw him hold up his hand to her words, however weary the hand was, it still had a commanding posture. She waited for him to speak, but he did not. He sat there; staring at her, as though he were reading her soul, and Hermione felt an odd sensation in her body, as though she were being x-rayed.  
  
Hermione began to wish that he could not read her soul, she told herself that he could not see the stress and problems that littered her mind, and she couldn't stand to think that he was reading everything that she had worked so hard to conceal. Did he know? Did he know about her father? Did he know? Of course he knew, he was Dumbledore, who seemed to know all and see all.  
  
Hermione couldn't look into his cool blue eyes anymore, she couldn't stand to let him read her deepest secrets, and she looked down at her feet. She had a feeling of pending doom filling her mind and soul, she knew something wasn't right, or else Dumbledore would have spoke already. Something was desperately wrong.  
  
"Miss Granger," Dumbledore said finally after the longest period of silence that Hermione had ever suffered through and caused her to jump out of her skin. His voice was quiet and pained, his face set in what looked like grief.  
  
"Yes?" She asked lightly, not wanting to know the answer.  
  
"I am afraid I have to give you some bad news." He said quietly, even more quietly than he had before, and although Hermione had been expecting it, she still didn't want to hear the next words that were going to be coming out of his mouth.  
  
She couldn't take any more bad news, her mind would overload, her brain would shut down completely, her emotions would explode from inside of her, she would shun any contact with another human being forever. She wasn't ready for what he said next, and she doubted she ever would be.  
  
"Your mother is in the hospital. It appears she was caught in a rather large car accident. She is in critical condition and the survival margin is not high." Hermione felt her breath catch in her chest as she tried to breathe.  
  
First her father, now her mother? Was he mother going to DIE? Dumbledore had said that the survival margin wasn't high, but that was now. She could hope for a miracle, and it could happen. In the back of her mind, a voice was saying that miracles are impossible.  
  
She wasn't going to let her mother be healed the muggle way. She was going to go to the hospital and make her mother allow magical healers to heal her, she didn't care HOW much money it cost. Hermione was willing to give just about anything to keep from losing another parent.  
  
"Professor I-" Hermione began, but Dumbledore stopped her once again and he himself spoke to her again, his voice stronger, but the weariness still showed through.  
  
"You are to go visit her. She is in a muggle hospital slightly south of where you live. You will leave first thing in the morning - I suggest you go begin packing for a trip of three days or so. That is as long as this school can spare to go without you." Had this been any other time, Hermione would have wondered why the school would need her to be back after very few days, but seeing as she was having a mid-life crisis at the age of fifteen, she didn't care too much at the moment.  
  
For the first time in her life, she was looking at Professor Dumbledore and realizing that he was an old man. She saw the wrinkles that covered his face, the sadness that burrowed into his eyes.  
  
"Thank you, Professor." Hermione said and she turned to walk out. She barely remembered the walk across the office, and she only stopped when she heard his voice when her hand touched the doorknob. She turned to face him again.  
  
"And Miss Granger," he said, a knowing twinkle somewhat back in his eye and it seemed to set Hermione's mind slightly at ease to see Dumbledore returning to his usual self.  
  
"Yes Professor?" she said questioningly, wondering what else he would have to say, and hoping desperately, that it was good news that he was going to speak, or at least something neutral.  
  
"There will always be, at Hogwarts, what your heart seeks most." He said in a very knowing voice, and the words sent a chill down Hermione's spine although there was nothing that her 'heart seeks most' that Hogwarts was capable of giving her.  
  
Not right now.  
  
"Thank you, Professor."  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione had basically run down the halls and she was now by her bed, throwing things into a bag to take with her. She wanted to be ready to leave as soon as she possibly could, she couldn't take any prolonged agony that she wasn't required to take.  
  
She was so concentrated on packing that she didn't notice the movement from her dormitory partners, Draco Malfoy and what's-his-name. Had she noticed, she would have also noticed the murderous looks that Malfoy was giving her. From waking him up or for the curse, she didn't know.  
  
"Disturbing my beauty sleep on purpose, Granger?" Malfoy asked sarcastically and Hermione wanted to sock him in the face, but resisted the urge, however strong it was. She wasn't supposed to hit Malfoy.  
  
"Malfoy, no amount of sleep in the WOULD could make you beautiful." She said and she didn't bother to face him, she just continued packing.  
  
"Mudblood, where are your mudblood parents?" he asked her, and Hermione felt like a volcano before it completely exploded. She could not explode. She would do something irrational again, and she was sure that Dumbledore would not be happy to worm her out of it again.  
  
She had been thinking about that lately. Why hadn't she been expelled, or at least given many, many detentions? It made no sense to her at all, and she hoped that he wouldn't rethink his decision, because she liked it here, not at Azkaban. Most definitely. She would just have to stay rational.  
  
Yet even as she told herself to stay rational, she felt no urge to do anything to him. The anger seemed to have evaporated from inside of her, leaving pain. All she felt was the familiar pulling sensation of her soul being pulled apart from inside of her. He was twisting the knife in the wound, making the pain so much worse that she wished that she would just die.  
  
"Has your mother died yet?" he asked, still pressing the issue, and although Hermione knew that he didn't know what was happening, it still hit her hard when he asked that, with the possibility of her mother actually dying. Why didn't he just shut up already?  
  
Hermione chose to ignore him and continue packing as fast as she possibly could. All she wanted was to get away from Malfoy. Every time she was around him an odd feeling erupted in her stomach and she couldn't place it, nor did she want to.  
  
She was afraid of what she was feeling toward him, she didn't know how to understand it and she was afraid it could lead to more mistakes in her life. Everything that involved men in her life had turned out to be a mistake, and she wasn't going to make any more mistakes no matter what anyone told her.  
  
"Maybe she got hurt in one of those muggle buggies." Malfoy continued, and Hermione felt her blood run cold. How did he know? How in the world did he know what had happened to her mother? Was he guessing? That had to be it, and it would give him so much satisfaction if she showed that that was the truth, she Hermione fought to keep her posture and expression neutral, but her mind was erupting.  
  
How did he know? How did he know?  
  
"And she's in the hopsicle." He continued, and Hermione couldn't suppress the small smile that lingered on her lips and she fought the urge to correct his word. It was a HOSPITAL, not a HOPSICLE.  
  
". . .Dying. . ." Malfoy finished, and although she was refusing to look at him, she could tell, just by his voice, that he was bewildered now.  
  
Good, she thought in a satisfied manner, he was just as confused about this as she was, which meant that neither one of them understood what was happening either.  
  
"Story of my life," Hermione muttered and continued packing her things without pausing.  
  
To her immense surprise, he also stopped talking and stood there, or at least she assumed that he stood there, because she didn't want to look at him no matter what the reason would be. She wanted, more than anything, to close him out of her life, and even though she knew this was impossible, it was something that she could almost look forward to, so she pretended it was true.  
  
Yet, even though she said she wanted to close him out of her life, there was always something that told her not to, something that didn't want to close him away, but she always ignored it and ignored him.  
  
Hermione stuffed the remaining items into her bag and she turned, glared at Malfoy, and then she swept out of the room with grace. She was going to spend three days away from Malfoy, convince her mother to be healed with magic, and restore her life to as close to normal as it was possible.  
  
Smiling slightly as she remembered his poor use of the names of important muggle buildings, Hermione walked down the hall and sat in the entrance hall, right next to the large doors. She would be completely ready to leave on a moment's notice, and she wasn't going to waste any time unless it was necessary. She nodded off next to the doors sometime after midnight.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione awoke, again, to the rough shaking of another person, she had expected it to be Professor McGonagall again, and when she looked up, she saw one of the last people that she wanted to be woken up by. Professor Snape.  
  
"Granger," he said curtly, and Hermione nodded in response, she didn't feel like talking to him at the moment, and she felt a large surge of hatred toward him. She didn't want to have to share her pain with him, she didn't even want to be in the same ROOM as him, and now she had to travel into London with him.  
  
"Professor," she said in the same curt manner, although with a hint of status, showing that she acknowledged the fact that he was a professor and that she was a student.  
  
"Where exactly am I supposed to be taking you to?" he asked her in a sly whisper as though he didn't want anyone to hear him, and she was taken aback. She had no idea where he was supposed to take her, wasn't that something that he should have already known?  
  
"Um, I think we're supposed to go to the hospital on 13th street near my house," she said, and she proceeded to tell him exactly how to get there, although she was thinking, while she was speaking, that telling Professor Snape how to get to her house may have been a bad decision, but it was too late to change that. They were already on their way.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione and Professor Snape arrived at the hospital, from which he went into the bathroom, she heard a crack, and she knew that he had Apparated out of the muggle world, and she was left, in the hospital, to figure out what to do next.  
  
It had NOT been a joyful trip. The only time he had talked to her was when he needed directions, and he sneered at her the whole time, as though he didn't want to waste his time on a 'pathetic mudblood'. Hermione found the whole thing childish, but knew better than to say so.  
  
Hermione looked around and realized that she would have been lost if she didn't know her way around. Luckily, she knew what she was doing and where she was going, because she had been in a hospital before.  
  
She walked purposefully up to the front desk and waited for the receptionist to turn her attention to her. She was chatting on the phone with some person named Charlottiea, which Hermione found to be a rather odd name, and was talking about how the man that did her nails the previous afternoon seemed to have been a total moron because yakkity yakkity yak.  
  
Hermione lost her patience and cleared her throat loudly, to which the receptionist answered with a disdainful look before she turned around and continued talking, much to Hermione's annoyance.  
  
She waited until the receptionist wasn't looking, and then she flipped through the book until she found the room that her mother was staying in, and she was relieved to find that she had been moved to a visiting room, which meant that she was no longer in critical condition.  
  
Spirits much lighter, Hermione started making her way to room C 132 to visit her mother, but she stopped inside of the elevator. There was an elevator button for B and an elevator button for D, but there was nothing for C. Hermione thought this was odd, but paid it no attention and pushed the button for B, thinking that she could just walk up to the next level.  
  
It became apparent, though, that there wasn't a single way to get to C floor, which could only mean one of two things. A, it would mean that it was a floor that only the doctors could access, or B, something was desperately wrong at the hospital, and Hermione needed to know which. It could be her fault; something from the magical world could have followed her here.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Hermione stepped out of the elevator (this was the fifth time she had rode it) and glanced around. So far, nothing looked out of place or mysterious, and she didn't know whether to be disappointed or relieved.  
  
She turned four more corners without any problems, but as she rounded the sixth, things started to happen.  
  
She heard footsteps and the hairs on the back of her head stood on end. Something was coming. . . but as she waited in anticipation, it was just a team of nurses taking their break.  
  
She continued walking when she was sure that they had seen nothing suspicious and that they were unharmed. It had taken her a while, though, because it was hard to 'decode their language' which seemed to be quite a few of them mixed into one.  
  
Hermione continued walking, perhaps creeping would be more accurate, and she heard footsteps again, but this time it was different. The footsteps seemed to be dislocated, out of sync with the others.  
  
She froze to listen, this was her first mistake.  
  
Four hooded figures leapt out at her, and her first instinct was that they were dementors, but their hoods and capes were red, and she had no idea what this could mean. She heard the voices of the four figures yelling back and fourth, and she heard the last voice that she wanted to hear. It was the voice of Lucius Malfoy.  
  
"Take the Mudblood, Macnair." He ordered, and Hermione seized her one chance at getting away. Damaging Lucius's pride.  
  
"Aww, is Lucius Malfoy afraid that a muggle born might be better than him, just like she's better than his rat-faced scum of a son?" Hermione asked in a baby voice, and she could almost see the steam emitting from Lucius's ears. She had hit a nerve.  
  
"I wouldn't be afraid of you if you were Albus Dunderhead." He said in a sneering voice, and she could almost see his smirk, identical to Malfoy's, even though she couldn't see any part of his face other than his long nose, which she longed to break with a well-placed kick.  
  
Lucius had drawn his wand and was already pointing it at Hermione, and she tried to play along, and pretend that she couldn't see the wand that was clutched in his hand. Two could play this game.  
  
"That's Albus Dumbledore to you, Malfoy." She spat his name out and then she spat, for real, on his shoes. There was an instant uproar of swear words and insults that were all thrown at Hermione. This was her second mistake.  
  
"Oh," she said in a ditsy voice. "I appear to have," from this point on, her voice became hard and angry. "Tainted the Malfoy pride. Tough. Luck." She said, and she drew her wand, of which, she was proud to say, was with her this time, she had learned her lesson from the ministry officials.  
  
"Ohh, the Mudblood wants to play? We shall soon see who wins." One of the other hooded figures said, and they all pointed their wands at her.  
  
"I can't believe that you needed to bring backup, are you afraid of me?" Hermione asked in a lording voice.  
  
"I wouldn't need backup for a corrupt teenager any time any where. And, since you are about to die, I can tell you, with pleasure, that this is a new branch of spies, from Italy-" Hermione remembered what Draco (no, Malfoy) had said about his mother wanting to join the ranks of the Italian spies. Apparently she had won.  
  
"And we are more powerful than any organization ever before."  
  
"Organization?" Hermione said disbelievingly. "More like DISorganization." She said, heavy emphasis put on the first syllable, and she saw all of their wands jut toward her chest.  
  
Stall, she thought in complete panic.  
  
"You think you're more powerful than Voldemort?" she asked, and she saw a collective shiver run through the four figures.  
  
"You dare say his name?" one of them asked, panic obvious in his voice.  
  
"You dare not say his name?" she asked back, and she saw him shiver again, to which another red figure elbowed him hard. This was her third mistake.  
  
"Goodbye, Mudblood." Lucius said, and Hermione's blood stopped moving.  
  
Lucius began waving his wand in a complex pattern, just like the other Italian spells, and Hermione knew she was doomed. By the length of this spell, it was a deadly curse, it could have been the equal to the killing curse, she did not know for sure.  
  
Hermione closed her eyes, trying to will her brain to think, move, do something, ANYTHING. She couldn't move, she waited for the curses to strike, but nothing happened. She heard no noise, and when she opened her eyes she had expected to have seen them Disapparate or something, but they were all there, unmoving.  
  
At first she thought they were trying to trick her, but she watched as Lucius's hand dripped. And then again. His hand was transparent blue and so were his feet. Drip. She couldn't see his face but assumed that it was too. Drip.  
  
Shit, she thought, he's an ice person.  
  
And indeed it was true. Lucius Malfoy had been transformed into a hunk of ice, just like his other three companions.  
  
Something hit Hermione, and she was gone.  
  
~+~  
  
A/N: What do you think NOW?  
  
Read and Review!  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	25. Something New

Love-princess1 : As always it's brilliant? Cool thank you so much, and I know you want the romance between Draco and Hermione, I hope this chapter helps settle that craving for the time being.  
  
Tahiri Veila : Interesting to say the least. . . that's good, right? And what I was trying to go for was that she couldn't get to floor C because the evil people had made it so she couldn't.  
  
Mudpie : I WISH it could be published, only one small problem. . .I'd probably lose more money than I earned because J.K. would sue my sorry buttocks. (hehe, that's a funny word. . . ahem.) DA DA DI DUM! Here it is!!  
  
ILUVRONWEASLEY : I don't know, what have I done with her? You tell me? HA! The story is confusing? (I like to say confuzzling) Yes, I know I am evil. Everyone knows I'm evil. . .MWAHAHA*cough* Dontcha worry, I have no intention of stopping until I am done with the story. Or I die.  
  
Cloudy Crystals : lol. Why do you think Hermione is OCC? (Not trying to be defensive or rude, I just want to know why you think that) Is it because she isn't completely school-work driven and she's not happy all the time?  
  
~The Simon Cowell of Fanfiction.net~ : Hey, don't worry, loose ends are about to be tied up. In the chapter after this some things are going to make sense in order to make room for new information.  
  
ShadowRogue : Ohh! You LOVE it? YESYESYES!  
  
Lady Scarlett1: I only restored your sanity temporarily? Wah! Here's s'more sanity for you~  
  
Artemis MoonClaw : Ohh, very curious? Neato.  
  
Cheryplum11 : So many questions. . . answers will come in time, be patient (HA).  
  
Darkmoon of Shadows : Because, it makes people come back, that's why. 100? That's cooool! You shall NOOOT shrivel up and die, you need to stay plump and alive.  
  
Willowfairy : Hmm, dumbfounded? Wow?  
  
Purple Spotted Hedwig : Yes, GO HERMIONE! Of course, it's a cliffhanger.  
  
Angel25302 : Thanks, and here's the next part!  
  
M.J. Kobayashi : In what way is it scary? Cool is good though. Here's the update!  
  
Lynseyax Heparedds : Horror? Agony? NOO! Save your head!!! No faults? WOWIE! Thanks! You shall no longer wait!  
  
Angel Liz : Here's more!! Thanks for the luck!  
  
--  
  
Alrighty, so it will take loooonger than normal (3-4 days) for me to update, because I have to go somewhere that is miles and miles and miles (etc) away. Or the equivalent to 6 hours.  
  
Chapter 23  
  
Her head was throbbing, her temples seemed ready to burst, her hands felt like they were on fire, and she didn't even want to think about the pain that was in her chest, burning every time she took a breath of air. It burnt enough that she thought about not breathing to limit the pain.  
  
People were talking in hushed voices, and Hermione suppressed a sigh. Why did they always talk in front of the injured person as though they couldn't hear? Even in the books the plan is always spoken of in front of the hero and the hero saves the world because the morons told the plan in front of the hero.  
  
Hermione wondered if this happened to Harry very often when he was in the hospital wing, but didn't think about it for very long as she concentrated on listening to the voices that were speaking.  
  
It was hard for her to listen because the voices seemed to be echoing in her head, but she could still understand most of what she was hearing.  
  
"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey asked in a worried voice, and Hermione could tell that she had been trying to tend to Hermione all night without stopping, and although she was grateful, that woman needed to take a second to rest in between working on patients.  
  
"I am unsure, but I thoroughly instructed Severus not to leave Miss Granger alone in that hospital. I knew that something would be wrong once she got there, I just did not know how wrong." Dumbledore said, and Hermione could sense unease in his voice as he spoke.  
  
How had someone tricked Dumbledore? That was pretty near impossible, not that she was denying it, but it was as close to impossible as something could get. What had really happened? Did Dumbledore KNOW about the Italian spies? Should she say something? Should she keep quiet?  
  
Questions were flooding her mind and it just made her head hurt worse to think. All she really wanted to know was what the heck had happened last night, or maybe it was longer ago? She didn't know, all she knew was that her leg was beginning to ache something fierce and she was hungry.  
  
"-why would he leave her if he knew you told him not to?" Hermione caught the last part of the question, and was jolted back to reality. She decided that it would do some good if she listened more carefully and worried about food later.  
  
"For this I have theories, Poppy, and I believe that the most realistic of them all is that Severus's life was in danger-" Dumbledore was cut short by angry words that now issued from Madam Pomfrey.  
  
"HE PUT A STUDENT IN DANGER TO SAVE HIS OWN LIFE-"  
  
"And the only way to protect-"  
  
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU LET HIM CALL HIMSELF A HOGWARTS TEACHER-"  
  
"Poppy, I will have to ask you to calm yourself." Dumbledore said, and Hermione heard Madam Pomfrey taking several, deep, angry breaths, but she spoke no more.  
  
"As I was saying, I believe that the only way to protect-" Again, Dumbledore's explanation was cut short, and Hermione began to feel very frustrated. She just wanted to know what the heck he was trying to say.  
  
Footsteps alerted her brain to turn on again and she heard the familiar click of Professor McGonagall's feet, and by the disdainful snort that issued from Madam Pomfrey, Professor Snape was with her.  
  
"Minerva," Madam Pomfrey said, and her voice became hard and sharp as she addressed Professor Snape. "Snape." She said in a rude fashion and Hermione heard her stride over and she felt the blankets rustle over her and Madam Pomfrey pulled them over her head.  
  
The second the blankets were over her head, she realized that they had a silencing charm on them and she couldn't hear any of the conversation through the blankets, so, without thinking, Hermione pretended to roll over in her sleep and in the process managed to shove the blankets off of her head, and succeeded in securing a visual of the conversation, which was better.  
  
"-DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING, LEAVING A STUDENT - A FIFTH YEAR NO LESS - ALONE WHEN YOU *KNEW* THAT THERE WERE DANGEROUS HAPPENINGS GOING ON AT THE HOSPITAL AND AROUND THE WORLD. HOW DO YOU LIVE WITH YOURSELF-"  
  
"My train of thought," Professor Snape said to Madam Pomfrey, who appeared to be shaking with rage, and his voice suggested that she had better not press the matter any further. Madam Pomfrey, however, seemed to have a quite different approach to the situation.  
  
"I GET A STUDENT IN HERE, AT 2 AM AND I FIND OUT THAT SOMEONE HAS TRIED TO HEAL HER, AND HAS HEALED HER *ARM* TOGETHER WITH HER SPLEEN, AND YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM MYSELF AND NOT THINK ABOUT THE RATIONALE OF YOUR TRAIN OF THOUGHT? YOU ARE CLEARLY MISTAKEN, SNAPE, BECAUSE I HAVE LOST ALL RESPEC-"  
  
"Poppy, it is also at my request that you remain calm," Professor Dumbledore said, a hint of amusement in his eye, and Hermione couldn't figure out what was amusing about her arm being healed into her spleen, but it better be damn funny.  
  
"CALM? CALM?! I'LL GIVE YOU CALM AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR-"  
  
"Ooookay!" Professor McGonagall said quickly, interrupting Madam Pomfrey before she said something that she would come to regret later.  
  
"Answer this question for me, Headmaster." Snape said coolly, and Hermione was drawn to listen immediately. When Snape asked a question, it was usually a GOOD question.  
  
"Yes, Severus?" Dumbledore asked inquisitively, and Hermione got the feeling that he already knew what Snape was going to ask before he could open his mouth, btu he waited as though he were completely clueless.  
  
"How was it, that a - a - "  
  
"Muggleborn." Dumbledore filled in for Snape, and Hermione felt a surge of anger toward Snape. Was he going to call her a mudblood as well? She got enough of that crap from Malfoy, and she didn't need her teachers and respectable professors calling her insulting names as well.  
  
"Yes that, as well as a 15-year-old witch, manage to use ancient magic that seems to be drawn from other galaxies?" Snape finished, and Hermione's anger lay forgotten. From other galaxies? Okay, something was too cliché about this.  
  
"Not other galaxies, Severus, definitely not other galaxies." Dumbledore said, and Hermione watched as Professor McGonagall whispered something to Madam Pomfrey, who 'humph'ed and strode over to her office, and Hermione could have sworn that Professor McGongall winked at her, which sent a shiver down her spine. Did she KNOW that Hermione was listening?  
  
"Then from where did the magic come from?" Snape asked, and it became obvious that his curiosity was getting the better of him. Dumbledore seemed to regard him with interest for a few moments before he even began to speak.  
  
Dumbledore paused much longer than Hermione had expected, and she could barely stand the silence. She lay there, trying to pretend that she was asleep, but she was sure that with each movement someone would notice that she was awake and halt the conversation.  
  
"Severus, I am ashamed to say that I myself cannot trace it, but, I believe, as you would notice, that was a spell of Salazar Slytherin."  
  
Complete silence ensued, and Hermione lay, frozen as stiff as she could possibly be. Salazar SLYTHERIN? She had used a Slytherin spell?  
  
'Woah, woah, woah.' Hermione thought suddenly. 'How is it possible for me to have cast a spell without knowing that I did?'  
  
The worst part, was that she didn't know the answer, and this was one of those things that couldn't be looked up in a book. Her life was getting more confusing at every turn.  
  
"I will actually need Miss Granger's account of the story to be remotely sure of anything." Dumbledore said, noticing the questioning glance that Professor McGonagall gave him, and Hermione was sure that she had not imagine her looking directly at her, and her eyes seemed to tell Hermione to make her presence known.  
  
Hermione sighed and pretended to just wake up, and she thought that she did a quite accurate job, and even Professor McGonagall seemed to be smiling slightly, which set her nerves at ease.  
  
"Ah, Miss Granger, I see you're up." Dumbledore said, and nowhere in his tone did it sound as though he had thought, in any way, shape or form, that she had been asleep, but she decided it would be useless to keep up the charade.  
  
"Miss Granger, could you give us a recount of what happened at the hospital?" Dumbledore asked, and Hermione was about to answer when Madam Pomfrey had decided to make her presence known.  
  
"ALBUS! Do you think this WISE?" she asked in an unusually shrill voice, and Hermione had to suppress a shudder. Only Professor Dumbledore could seem to keep his body still as he looked at her, his look seeming to pierce her.  
  
"Poppy," he said warningly, and she shuffled backward in a very disrespectful manner, yes, but she shuffled back all the same.  
  
"Oh, well, Professor," Hermione began and she swung her legs around the bed and made to get up when she found herself slamming back into the pillows. Apparently Madam Pomfrey had decided to take out her anger on her patients/victims.  
  
"Oomph!" Was all Hermione could muster before she was smothered by a blanket.  
  
"POPPY!" all three of the professors said at the same time, and Hermione jumped. They could make a loud racket.  
  
Hermione began explaining everything that had happened, and as she said it out loud, she began to realize how stupid she seemed to have been. She had just 'assumed' that the hospital employees and builders would have left out a button to the C floor, and that it would 'mysteriously vanish'?  
  
"And then I watched his hand drip and I figured he was ice." Hermione stopped speaking and the professors looked at her expectantly.  
  
The truth was, Hermione didn't remember anything that happened after that. Her memories stopped and picked up again at, you guessed it, the hospital wing. She was annoyed that she was here again, because she seemed to have a habit of turning up in the hospital wing for reasons that she could not recall.  
  
Her frustration bubbled inside of her and she slammed her fist into the pillow, which, to her immense dissatisfaction, simply puffed itself back to place once she moved her fist. It was supposed to, in the very least, stay smashed, that way she could tell that it had been given a blow, but there was no indention to be spoken of, and it left Hermione angrier than she had been before.  
  
She had completely forgotten the professors that were in front of her, and she glanced over at them and froze. She stared at them for a minute, and she thought that Professor McGonagall's eyes were going to pop out and that Professor Dumbledore was not going to be able to suppress his laughter.  
  
"Perhaps we should speak another time." Professor McGonagall said, and Hermione sighed and watched them walk out while she glared at their backs.  
  
She lay down more out of spite than anything else and stared at the ceiling. Why did it have to be her life that was so damn confusing? Couldn't she live the life of a brainless ditz like Parvati or Lavender? Or why couldn't she live a 'normal' life as a muggle? Why did she have to be involved with the more moronic people in the world, and why did they have to know magic?  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione's mine was reeling and she couldn't stand it. She wanted to go back to innocence, she wanted to be clueless, she wanted to be a kid, but she couldn't. She felt like she needed to go back in her life and try to relive her childhood, because this wasn't working well for her.  
  
How was everyone expecting her to cope with the fact that she had power to dystroy the universe? How could she now cope with ultimate and dangerous power, a dead father, a hurt mother, zero friends, and, to top it all off, ADVANCED TRANSFIGURATION?  
  
Hermione wished she could just stop being advanced and challenged, and she wanted to be average. No, less than average. She couldn't handle the stress. If she didn't do something soon, she was sure that she was going to crack. She was going to go insane with the power and responsibilities that had been given to her.  
  
And the worst part was, she didn't have anyone to talk to about the whole situation, which probably increased the stress on her.  
  
She sighed and fell back on her pillow on the couch when an idea hit her.  
  
Grinning evilly, Hermione stood, or more accurately, crouched, around the corner from Draco's bedchambers, and waited for him to come out of them. Her scarlet pillow held in her hands, ready to hit its target.  
  
Its blonde haired, grey-eyed target.  
  
Malfoy stumbled out, as she watched him unceremoniously trip over his robes. He righted himself and turned the corner -  
  
WHAM!  
  
With considerable amounts of satisfaction, Hermione realized that he had obviously not been expecting anything of the sort, which added to her pleasure. She had seriously enjoyed the look of shock on his face, and she didn't know why she was doing something so childish.  
  
Maybe it was because she needed to loosen up and be herself for a little while before she had to take on the role of 'Super Hermione'.  
  
Malfoy stared blankly at her, and she froze for a second. Did he not know what a pillow fight was? Did he not ever have a pillow fight in his lifetime? Hermione felt instantly sorry for him, and decided to continue bashing him with her pillow.  
  
"GRANGER? What the?"  
  
She grinned evilly, conjured his pillow, and hit him with her pillow again. He stared at her, stunned by the blow, and then he smiled.  
  
No, she thought, he smirked.  
  
He drew his arms back, and before he could hit Hermione, she pounded his face with her scarlet pillow and he jumped backward, an evil grin now spreading across his face as well.  
  
She swung again, he ducked and smacked her head on, and it dazed her for a few seconds. She blinked, trying to regain movement in her arms, and he had already pummeled her with his emerald pillow three more times.  
  
Hermione somersaulted forward and smacked him when she stood up in front of him, and she could have sworn that he laughed.  
  
The pillow fight lasted for ten minutes, by which both pillows were depleted of all of their pillows, and were now everywhere else. The chairs, couches, carpets, people and many other items were covered in green and red feathers, and when Hermione looked at Malfoy, she burst out laughing.  
  
He gave her a questioning look and she shook her head, laughing still. With the silvery blonde hair and the feathers, he looked like a Christmas ornament or decoration, and the sight was funny.  
  
Both of them were sitting, side-by-side, breathing heavily, but Hermione couldn't have been happier. She had just had the time of her life, having a pillow fight with her mortal enemy.  
  
Hermione glanced at the clock and felt a jolt in her stomach. It was late so fast, and she realized that she was tired, something she hadn't been willing to admit when she was pillow fighting.  
  
"Malfoy," she said, and then she corrected herself. "Draco," she said, and she saw him, inadvertently, stiffen as though surprised.  
  
"G'night." She said, and she kissed him on the cheek, got up, and left without looking back, because she was afraid of what she would see.  
  
'Why did I do that?' she whined to herself. 'Why, why, why, why, why?'  
  
She closed the door to her room silently and slid down the door as she leaned against it. She had just been friendly, that was all.  
  
'Yes,' she thought. 'Friendly.'  
  
~+~  
  
Alright, so just to clarify, it will take loooonger than normal for me to update, because I have to go somewhere that is away from home.  
  
I will update ASAP.  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	26. Finally, something makes sense

/ / / CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE!!! H t t p : / / g e o c i t i e s . c o m / a l l _ a b o u t _ s a q u o i a / i n d e x . h t m \ \ \ (no spaces, of course) ---  
  
Slytherinangel922 - Yes, some H/D Action, happy day! And, no need to wait, here's more!  
  
Lynseyax Heparedds - You were out of your chair? Be careful! Yes, it would be fun to beat Draco senseless with a pillow, wouldn't it? He would deserve it, huh? And yes, you shall have to let Hermione be with Draco, because he's HERS. . . or, he will be. . . later.  
  
Mudpie - You were too excited, right? I liked writing about the pillow fight, and I am back, enjoy the more!  
  
Darkmoon of Shadows - Awesome? Thanks so, so, so much! Thanks, and I enjoy being creative.  
  
ILUVRONWEASLEY - Thanks for not being angry for taking longer to update. I understand that you forget about what you say in your review, but I am going to continue to answer it anyway.  
  
love-princess1 - You hope they fall in love fast? Hmm. . . here's more, please enjoy!  
  
Chinagurl - what didn't you get? Oh well, hope things are going to start making sense now.  
  
M.J. Kobayashi - Oh, alright, that makes more sense. Please read!  
  
Spaced Out Space Cadet - Alright, so my cliffies are evil, okay! I don't know, why don't you wait and see what happens with H/D. things will start changing soon, don't you worry.  
  
Ickle Ronniekins Girlie!! - I love pillow fights too!  
  
willowfairy - It's alright, you're allowed a stupid moment every three seconds. You started school? I'm on summer vacay.  
  
SahdowRogue - Yes, the heat may be rising. . . Glad you're waiting, here's. . .Mooooore!  
  
Ash - yes, I can e-mail you and thanky thanks!  
  
*Shocked Beyond Words* - You're shocked beyond words? Wow! Yes, I am twelve, and I am sure you could write like this.  
  
Purple Spotted Hedwig - Ha, you liked the no cliffie! LOL~ Yes, she is kinda crazy, isn't she?  
  
Tayz - Ohh, thanks so, so much!  
  
Slim - Yes, I had a very vivid picture of this event while I was writing it.  
  
Artemis MoonClaw - Yes, everything is bound to be confusing at some point, right? (like that sentence)  
  
Lauren - I understand that things are getting confusing, that's why explanations are starting.  
  
freakyfairy - Cute isn't my style, but I couldn't resist! Yes, Madam Pomfrey was fun to write as well, she over reacts!  
  
Dreaming One - I know, things are getting a tad cliché, but I couldn't resist! =D Ha, no critique? It's 2 am? HA!  
  
Cloudy Crystals - Alright, well, although Hermione is OOC from the books, I prefer MY Hermione! A ton of jello, huh? Um. . . I don't mind that much. . . why?  
  
--  
  
Alright, please read this chapter, enjoy it, and for reference, the webbie was put up because people were asking me kazillions of questions.  
  
~+~  
  
Chapter 24  
  
Hermione spent her entire breakfast trying to convince herself that she hadn't meant anything by the kiss, she had been caught up in the moment, she hadn't known what she was thinking, SOMETHING had to have been wrong with her at the time, because kissing Malfoy, even if it was on the cheek, was absolutely not right.  
  
She didn't have time to dwell on Malfoy, however, because many other pressing matters were taking precedence in her mind, and over-powering her thoughts of the kiss.  
  
Thing such as why she and Malfoy had had the same dreams (which she was happy to note, hadn't been happening anymore) and why it was her that was stuck with this power that she had come to label as a form of super- power. Why was it always her that was stuck with things? She had noticed that nothing had seemed to be happening to Harry this year, which struck her as odd, because things always happened to Harry. In fact, she found herself selfishly wishing that something would happen to Harry and give her some time off.  
  
And what about the exchange trip? Why hadn't she been allowed to go on that? Why had Dumbledore seen fit to keep her here? With Draco Malfoy of all people? Why was she deprived of everything that she came to Hogwarts for in the first place?  
  
Hermione decided to try to drown her thoughts at the library, the only place where she could get lost in a book, even if she tried not to. She made her way there as quickly as she could, because she knew that she needed to make it there without being interrupted or else she would never make it there.  
  
She bolted there, running whenever she was sure that she wouldn't get caught, she had to make it there, she couldn't run into someone, she needed to be free from worry. It felt like the whole world was weighing down on her and there was nothing that she could do to stop it.  
  
She could almost feel the weight of everything compressing her body, making her walk differently, talk differently, think differently, changing the way she perceived herself and the way she spoke to others. She was becoming a different person because of the amount of burdens that had been put on her.  
  
At eleven she had almost watched her best friends die, at twelve she had been petrified, at thirteen she had come face-to-face with a mass murderer and soul sucking creatures, at fourteen she had been there to see her friend come back from meeting with an evil lord, and telling the world that the 'reign of terror' was to resurface, and the world was being thrown into a disillusion.  
  
Now, at fifteen, she had been forced to live knowing that she was more powerful than most of the other people at the school, and quite possibly the world, she had to let her father pass away without spending time with her family, she had no idea whether her mother was alright or not, and she couldn't take the pressure that Dumbledore had placed on her when he asked her to assist Malfoy in the time reversal spells and other related works. None of it made sense to her anyway.  
  
She flipped a page in a book and rolled her eyes. How could anyone think that time could simply be reversed? It was impossible, even if there was something such as magic. Once it has passed, it is gone; such as it is impossible to get back a cookie once it is swallowed.  
  
Hermione slammed the book shut and flipped through another one, trying to find something, absolutely anything that would make sense to her. None of the theories were correct, at least in Hermione's opinion. Something was missing from them, something that was supposed to be the complete answer to everything in the universe, but she couldn't think of what it was.  
  
How was it that when you went back in time, you were in the past with yourself? If time could simply be reversed, then you shouldn't be in a particular time frame with what appeared to be a copy of yourself, because the time would be different, but you would be one being.  
  
Hermione whacked her head on the table and left it there, in the small, cradle-like indention which told her that other students before her had done the same with their heads, while she tried to think of something that would make what was in this book make sense.  
  
She knew she was smarter than the average person, she had been told so many times, yet she couldn't seem to think of the answer now, and she needed to.  
  
"I. Need. Answers." Hermione said angrily, not bothering to raise her head, and she heard someone sit down across from her.  
  
"Me too, Granger." Hermione's head snapped up. What was HE doing here? She couldn't talk to him, not now, not ever. She couldn't face him, she didn't know what to say. Something was wrong with her when she was around him, she couldn't think properly, things came out wrong.  
  
She hated him. She had to hate him. She told herself that she hated him, she persisted in her mind that she hated him, she insisted to anyone that would listen that she hated him, yet she couldn't convince herself, no matter how many times she said it, she would never believe it.  
  
She looked into the eyes of the fifteen-year-old boy in front of her, his silvery hair falling in his eyes, his grey eyes as cool as ever, and she didn't know what to think, she didn't know if she was capable of thinking.  
  
"Granger." He said again, and she was jolted from her thoughts, but she didn't want to answer him. She knew exactly what he was going to ask about, and she definitely didn't want to talk about it.  
  
"I'll talk to you later." She said, and she brushed everything into her bag, stood up, and walked out of the library, as fast as she could without looking completely panicked and worried.  
  
"No," someone said and grabbed her shoulder, and she didn't need to turn to know who it was. She closed her eyes, not wanting to face him. She didn't know what to do when she was around him. She had this wriggling feeling in her stomach, but it seemed to be drowned by the memories of everything that he had done to her in the past, everything that he had done period.  
  
Insults, curses, hurtful actions. He had contributed to the ripping gape in her soul and the emptiness in her heart. He had been the last person to show her that she meant absolutely nothing to anyone. He had shown her that she was lower than low, that she meant less than dirt on a shoe, and she had taken that to heart.  
  
"You'll talk to me now." He said, and she tried to walk away, but he held onto her wrist tightly. She sighed and refused to look at him. She simply couldn't. She continued walking purposefully down the hall, and she was dragging a Draco Malfoy in her wake as she went down the hall.  
  
"I need more than the answers that you can give me." Hermione told him and she tried to walk away from him, but he wouldn't let go of her shoulder, and she didn't know whether she wanted him to let go or not.  
  
"I can't do this." She said and she tried to brush his hand off, but it wouldn't budge.  
  
"You can't do what?" he asked, and Hermione shook her head, partly because she didn't want to answer, and partly because she didn't really know herself. What did she mean? She had no idea what she meant anymore, and she didn't want to find out, because she was afraid of what she would find out about herself, perhaps it would be something that she didn't want to know.  
  
"I don't know." She whispered, quieter than any human's ear could hear, and she was happy that she had mastered this art. She had technically answered, but she couldn't be heard.  
  
"What?" he said, and she scoffed. Apparently he had heard SOMETHING, but she wasn't going to answer him. That was it. She just wouldn't answer him.  
  
She was spared the agony of answering, however, because Professor Albus Dumbledore came sweeping down the steps in front of the two of them, and he stopped in front of them, an amused twinkle sparkling dangerously in his eyes.  
  
"Ah, Mister Malfoy, Miss Granger, I see you're getting along?" he said, and although it sounded like a question, Hermione was almost certain that it was not meant to be answered as one.  
  
"No." Draco said instantly, and Hermione felt his hand slide off of her shoulder and linger on her back for a second.  
  
"Of course not." Hermione said almost as quickly as Draco spoke, and she would have laughed at the irony any other time, but this was definitely not the time nor place to laugh. Something wasn't right, did she normally run into Dumbledore in the halls on a regular day?  
  
"I can see by Miss Granger's face that you have calculated that something is amiss. I shall be the first to admit that I feel I owe it to the pair of you to speak to you about things that have been happening lately." Hermione stared at Dumbledore, and she had an odd feeling that Draco was doing the same.  
  
"I would like you to answer my questions, unfortunately I have other engagements." Hermione said, and she wasn't aware of how rude it seemed to sound, and all she was thinking about was how she was going to get away. She didn't want to talk to anyone about anything.  
  
She was almost up the staircase when she whipped around, and the two people that she ahd walked away from were still standing there, in the same positions that she had left them at, and she hurried back down to where they were.  
  
Her thirst for knowledge and her curiosity were winning over her wishes to stay in her own protected environment.  
  
"Alright, I want to talk too." She admitted sheepishly and she glanced at Draco for a second before redirecting her gaze to Dumbledore.  
  
~+~  
  
Sitting in his office fifteen minutes later, Hermione found herself face-to-face with Albus Dumbledore, and was happy to report that she had her own, separate chair, rather than trying to share a single chair with Draco.  
  
"What is on your minds?" Dumbledore asked, and Hermione stared at him in shock without speaking for a minute. Did he truly not know what was on her mind?  
  
"Why us?" Draco asked, and Hermione stared at him now. Why us what? She wondered. His question didn't make sense, yet Dumbledore seemed to understand exactly what he was asking.  
  
"Ah, Mister Malfoy, I have been waiting for you to ask me this for a long time, ever since I told you about your power, in fact." Hermione looked at Dumbledore indignantly. Had he meant that exactly as the words said? Had he really expected Hermione not to ask him, and that Draco would be the one that asked him the question?  
  
Hermione thought that this was very rude, but as she thought about it, she realized that he was right in every way.  
  
"You see, it isn't only you two that should have had the power." Dumbledore said, and Hermione's attention immediately focused on Dumbledore. Who else could possibly have the power?  
  
"Exactly one thousand-ten years after the founders founded Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, four students would come together, all with the same sacred power as the four founders had, and they would bring light back to the earth again, as a great evil was to rise." Dumbledore paused, as though waiting for his words to sink into their skulls before he continued.  
  
"Why one thousand-ten?" Draco asked, and Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
"Ten-ten? 1010?" she asked in a manner that clearly said, 'duh, you stupid moron', or, at least, something to that affect.  
  
"Yes, Miss Granger is correct." Dumbledore said, and he took another elegant pause before he continued.  
  
"Anyway, the four students were to be here, at this very school where it all started, but fate and destiny have their way of changing over the centuries, ill-wishes of a single person can alter the universe. Every human being, at some point in their life, will have a major choice to make, but to them it may seem small, miniscule even, but the slightest mistake can change the future.  
  
"Which seems to have happened, seeing as there are only two of you here with me today, where there should have been four." Dumbledore paused again, and Hermione couldn't resist asking the question that seemed to be burning her lips in order not to come out.  
  
"Who else should have been here?" Hermione asked, and Dumbledore seemed to consider his answer before he spoke.  
  
"Well, Miss Granger, perhaps I should explain quite a few things." He said, and Hermione nodded, she had the distinct feeling that this would take a lot longer than a few, casual minutes to explain.  
  
"As you should have guessed, the student to represent Salazar Slytherin is Mister Malfoy, the student to represent Godric Gryffindor is Miss Granger-"  
  
"I would have thought that would be Potter." Draco said in an easy drawl, and Hermione longed to smack him on the side of the head. How could he be so inconsiderate? Yet, she had been wondering the same thing; why her and not Harry Potter? The boy who had survived attacks from Voldemort, the boy who had beaten the odds? Why not him?  
  
"Yes, Mister Malfoy, and so would a great deal of others, yet it is Miss Granger that has received the power, not by blood, as with the other three students, but by gift." Hermione was completely blank. Gift?  
  
"And that means?" Draco asked rather rudely, and Dumbledore seemed to take no notice of his rudeness.  
  
"Miss Granger appears to have inherited a part of the gift, not the total gift that can only be given by blood, but as close to the gift as we can count on at this time and day, and she has been chosen, despite her Muggle parentage, because of her skills and uncanny knack for finding herself in tough situations-" Dumbledore's eyes were alive behind his half- moon spectacles, and they greatly shone through the bleak look on his face.  
  
"-and it has been awarded to her, therefore, by those that have passed on, centuries before."  
  
"Alright, not like I don't like listening to boring stories, but who else was supposed to be here?" Draco asked, and Hermione was aghast at the way he was acting, but, as usual, Dumbledore seemed to take no notice. It was as though he was immune to rudeness.  
  
"The gift from Helga Hufflepuff died, in Mister Cedric Diggory." Dumbledore said sadly, and Hermione's eyes widened. Cedric Diggory had the same power that we have? Was that why Voldemort killed him, or had he just been trying to get at Harry?  
  
"And who had Ravenclaw's power?" Draco persisted, and Hermione felt rather annoyed with him. Couldn't he wait two seconds?  
  
"Ah, Mister Malfoy, this is the hardest one to place, because it seems that the person with Rowena Ravenclaw's power has not come to Hogwarts, meaning that something happened in the past that changed the future. . .possibly."  
  
"What do you mean possibly?" Hermione asked, and she didn't like the way Dumbledore was looking at her, she felt uncomfortable seeing his gaze in her eyes, she felt like she was being x-rayed again, and it struck her what he was going to say, seconds before he said it.  
  
"I believe that Miss Granger could very well be the recipient of Rowena Ravenclaw's power, by blood right." Dumbledore said, and Hermione was almost pleased with these words just because of the look on Malfoy's face.  
  
"But, Professor, you said it before, I'm Muggle Born, how could I be related to Rowena Ravenclaw? She was a witch." Hermione asked, and she saw Dumbledore nodding knowingly, as though he had expected this reaction from her, and he definitely should have, she was not stupid.  
  
"I believe that one child, seven or eight centuries back, was a squib, but had the blood of Rowena Ravenclaw in its veins, and this squib has transferred the blood to you, Miss Granger." Dumbledore said, and Hermione sat there in her chair for a minute.  
  
"So, I'm, like, really powerful and really dangerous?" Hermione asked meekly, and she didn't know whether to be reassured by Dumbledore's laughter or not. Some odd place in her mind told her that she couldn't be reassured by anything right now.  
  
"Ah, Miss Granger," he said, still appearing to be laughing at her on the inside, and his eyes were alive with amusement. "Perhaps I should have explained clearer. Only one power can be used at a time, and it would kill you to try to use both. Each founder had different power, and it is represented in their gifts."  
  
"The gift from Helga Hufflepuff was one of the most important gifts in the earliest times, but the art has seemed to die considerably over the years. The gift for Hufflepuff was the gift of being a Seer." Hermione nodded, pretending that everything was making sense to her, when in reality nothing was making sense anymore. In theory, all of the words strung together into understandable sentences, but the concepts were escaping Hermione.  
  
"As Miss Granger has figured, or maybe not, seeing as there are many circumstances, one of the powers that she could have possessed has already taken its place in her heart." Dumbledore said, and Hermione tried to figure it out, but she couldn't.  
  
"Which is it, Professor?" she asked, and she waited happily for the answer, thinking that something in her life would, at last, make sense to her from now on.  
  
"Miss Granger, I believe that it is the Ravenclaw gift." Dumbledore said, and Hermione's heart sank. Ravenclaw? Why had that blasted hat even bothered putting her in Ravenclaw? She could have avoided quite a few messes in her life, she could have avoided the catastrophic events that seemed to follow Harry, and she would be with other 'smart' people. She wouldn't have such a bad rivalry with Malfoy, and her life would be easier.  
  
"The gift, which is Wandless magic." Dumbledore said, and Hermione perked up at these words. Wandless magic? Cool.  
  
"As you have already demonstrated with our," Dumbledore paused, and then accented his next word. "Friends." She was sure that he was avoiding using Malfoy's father's name, and she was happy. She didn't need anything else to make her life complicated, she was doing fine on her own.  
  
"The Gryffindor gift that could have been possible for you is the gift of unaided flight."  
  
"Un. Aided. Flight?" Draco asked incredulously, and Hermione felt herself compelled to go with him on that one. What kind of nitwit chose flight over something more. . .more. . . better?  
  
"Well, Godric Gryffindor had an, *immense like* for flying," Dumbledore said, and it was all Hermione could do to keep herself from laughing.  
  
"What about ME?" Draco asked, and Hermione smiled despite what she told her face to do. Scowl, she had told it, scowl.  
  
"The gift from Salazar Slytherin is actually two gifts," Dumbledore said, and Draco appeared to be happy, and his smug expression showed exactly what he was thinking, as usual. He thought that he was the best of the four that were supposed to be here, and he thought that his gift was best.  
  
"Parseltongue and something that is extremely rare. You have been chosen for a gift that has been documented in history twice." Dumbledore said, and Draco rolled his eyes.  
  
"Talk, c'mon, I don't have all day, talk." Once again, Hermione was shocked at how much rudeness Dumbledore accepted from Draco.  
  
"You have the ability to walk into death once, either to save someone's soul, or your own life." Dumbledore said, and Draco looked happier than ever.  
  
"I can live twice as long as anyone else. Once I die, I can come back! HA!" He said triumphantly. "Beat THAT Potter." Hermione couldn't believe how obsessed he was with being better than Harry, it was like an illness to him, something that he was incapable of getting over. It was rather annoying.  
  
"Are there any more questions you two have for me?" Dumbledore asked, and he appeared to know that questions were flying through Hermione's mind, and she thought that they must be flying through Malfoy's as well, but his face said nothing.  
  
"Why can Mal-Draco and I you know - why do we have the - you know - dream things?" Hermione thought that her sentence couldn't have sounded any more stupid unless she were Crabbe or Goyle.  
  
"It's all because of these extra powers that you two have, and I must warn you, it will be more difficult, seeing as there are only two of you to do the job of four." Dumbledore said, and before Hermione could ponder these words, they were back in their Advanced Transfiguration room, where the rest of the class was working on their training.  
  
Hermione smiled weakly and waved feebly.  
  
"Hey. . .everyone."  
  
~+~  
  
A/N: I was nice today as well, no cliffie, but DON'T get used to it, lol!  
  
Please Read and Review.  
  
Sorry that I have been so busy, I am taking TaeKwonDo and I have major training to be doing because I am taking a second degree black belt test, so I have many classes to be taking.  
  
Ttyl.  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	27. The Dream

Darkmoon of Shadows - It's okay to be obsessed with the word good, because I like it when people think my writing is good. =D  
  
Purple Spotted Hedwig - Oh yes, I am very busy!  
  
Artemis MoonClaw - Allie rightie. Hereie isie moreie!  
  
~The Simon Cowell of Fanfiction.net~ - LOL, does that mean that you didn't understand it before?  
  
Ickle Ronniekins Girlie!! - Yes, I take TaeKwonDo. Have you heard of it? Most people say "You take Karate, right?"  
  
ILUVRONWEASLEY - I wasn't nice when I didn't leave it on a cliffie? You confused me. ;-D LOL, I understand forgetting what you wrote on a review, happens ALL the time.  
  
Love-princess1 - more? I don't have THAT much time, at least, not right now, but I am on it. Next chapter is going to be loooong and juuuuuiiiicy!  
  
Tayz - LOL, yes, Draco, power-hungry, hmm. . . YOU did TaeKwonDo as well? I've never met so many people that have done TaeKwonDo before. Everyone assumes it's Karate or Judo or Kung Fu.  
  
Mudpie - Alright, here's more! I hurried as much as I possibly could!  
  
Dreaming One - I know everyone wants H/D action, but it's hard to incorporate into this chapter. You'll understand when you read it. No criticism? Cool!  
  
Chinagurl - Yes, I think he needs to be slapped. ANY VOLUNTEERS?  
  
Blueamber - ha! You're lazy. That's fun, unfortunately I can't be lazy. No, they don't kiss in this chapter.  
  
M.J. Kobayashi - I'm glad I answered a lot of questions, and thanks, I need the luck.  
  
---  
  
Alright, here's the deal.  
  
I am so stinkin' busy. Here's what's happening in my life at the moment.  
  
a. I am studying history of TaeKwonDo, the meaning of the parts of the Korean flag, the meaning of every poomse (form) and the history of the ATA.  
  
b. I am memorizing 16 self-defense and one-step-sparring expercises and memorizing 12 poomse  
  
c. I am memorizing a monologue for acting camp  
  
d. I am memorizing a flute solo.  
  
e. I am TRYING TO WRITE! ACK!  
  
I won't be posting very often for the next two or two and half weeks, but starting in September, I will be back on schedule. I will try to post before my test and before I go to vacation, so, I'll hurry!!!  
  
~+~  
  
Chapter 25  
  
Hermione sat down at the nearest chair, pretending that nothing out of the ordinary had happened, although she knew what must have been going through the kids' heads, since she had just done what, to them, appeared to be Apparating.  
  
Several people were whispering to another person, and it wasn't until she heard some random snatches of their conversations that she realized what had really been going through their minds.  
  
" - Gryffindor and Slytherin - psst psst psst - together - " Hermione was mortified. TOGETHER?! Her and Malfoy. She scoffed.  
  
'Yeah, in someone's dreams, certainly not mine, but whatever.' Hermione turned, and to clear some things up, she looked at Malfoy and glared at him, for no reason, and he returned the glare. This served, however, to only add to what was running through everyone's minds, because several urgent whispers ensued this act of hatred. They probably had thought it was just that - an act.  
  
Sighing angrily she turned and practiced transforming into a golden fox, and took every opportunity to glare a Malfoy and his dragon form.  
  
"Show off." She muttered and returned to her work.  
  
~+~  
  
That night in their room, Hermione and Malfoy were arguing with utmost contempt, and Hermione was determined to win this argument, if not only for the sake of being able to throw it in his face tomorrow.  
  
"You're a pitiful Mudblood, you know that? And this time, I really mean it." He said, and his smirk was, as always, across his face.  
  
"You ALWAYS say that, can't you ever think of something ELSE?" Hermione asked exasperatedly and she turned to climb into her bed and sit while she glared at him, but Malfoy wouldn't let her.  
  
"Giving up, Miss 'Know-It-All'?" he asked in what anyone else would have thought was an innocent voice, but, in her experience with Draco Malfoy, there was absolutely nothing innocent about him.  
  
"No." she spat at him and turned to glare at him again, her robes falling off of her shoulders. "I hate you though."  
  
"What's new?" he asked sarcastically and he kicked his trunk open while he rummaged around in it, Hermione tore open the hangings around her bed and plopped down on the mattress. It was going to be a long night.  
  
"WHY are you such a prat?" she asked in anger, and he laughed, obviously amused by this comment, and she couldn't figure out why. It wasn't like it was that far from the truth anyway.  
  
"Why are you such a bookworm?" he retaliated without missing a beat, and Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
"Why are you so bad at insults?" she answered instantly, and she was pleased to note that it took him nearly ten seconds before he retaliated.  
  
"You are too." He said, and she laughed hollowly.  
  
"You ridiculous little mascara face-painted Jerk-In-The-Box, you couldn't insult someone if your sorry life depended on it." Hermione said, and buy the look on his face, he didn't know what mascara was or what a Jack-In-The-Box was, which made her use of 'jerk-in-the-box' make absolutely no sense whatsoever, but she couldn't have cared any less. SHE knew that she had insulted him, and that was all that mattered.  
  
"At least I look good, you on the other hand. . ." he said, and she knew that this was meant to be an insult, but she couldn't help but laugh. He was definitely losing his touch, he no longer was able to say things that would make her feel completely awful, or maybe she was getting more ignorant of his words. Whichever it was, it was working well.  
  
"Well. . . you know. . . Looks aren't everything in life, MALFOY, and in your case, yes, especially in your case, they happen to be nothing." She said, and even though she wanted to believe this, something kept telling her that he didn't look bad.  
  
"Well - you - I - you - shut up, Granger." He said, and she smirked wider than she had thought was possible. Was she turning into Malfoy, and he was turning into Hermione, because the universe seemed to have switched. He had just stumbled over an insult that he couldn't think of fast enough.  
  
"No." she said simply, and he swore under his breath and ran a hand through his hair, which was looking much more alive since it wasn't full to the breaking point with grease.  
  
"I hate you." He muttered and scoffed at her as he made to kick something that wasn't there, and she had a feeling it may have been an invisible Hermione.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. Was that the best he could think of?  
  
Suddenly, an idea popped into her head, and although she tried to ignore it, it kept bothering her, nagging her to use it, so she succumbed.  
  
She began clapping loudly as he glared at another invisible Hermione Granger, and he turned to look at her, confusion and fury written across his face into one, super-emotion. Apparently she had just shocked him, because his face betrayed his thoughts completely.  
  
"WHAT?" he said incredulously, and she smiled, very pleased with herself. She could tell that she had gotten under his skin, she was annoying him now, and he couldn't stand being annoyed. She knew he wanted to crack, to strangle her, to do something, but here he was, forced by some inner force to let her take a few more whacks at him and she was going to use it for all it was worth.  
  
"I'm impressed," she said simply, and she felt the need to continue with this insult. "I've never met such a small mind in such a large head before. Bravo." She continued clapping, just to annoy him, because every time she brought her hands together, he grimaced a little more.  
  
She reached into her pocket and began to idly play with her wand, twisting it between her fingers and randomly muttering things, all with the sole purpose of scaring him.  
  
"WHAT are you doing?" he asked irritably, and his own hand hovered over the pocket where his wand was obviously kept.  
  
"I'm just wondering which curse to use on you." She said in a coy voice and she nonchalantly pointed her wand at him. Something stirred inside of her, but she brushed it away, assuming it was something she could deal with later.  
  
"Why are you such an insufferable git, Malfoy?" she asked sweetly and innocently, and she could see his jaws clenching, but she truly wanted to know. What was his problem? Why did he insist on being the most annoying person that she had ever had the displeasure of being in contact with?  
  
"Why are you such a busy-body, Granger?" he asked in the same sweet tones that she had used, and now that it was being used against her, she realized just how annoying it really sounded.  
  
"Why are you evil?" she asked, still sounding sweet as ever, and she saw his eyes narrow slightly, ever so slightly, and his hand clenched tightly, which was hovering over his want pocket. She whipped her wand around, not wanting to be caught off guard, and pointed it at him.  
  
"Not so fast Granger," he said and he pulled out his wand, and her smile didn't even flicker, as she cast a spell without any hesitation whatsoever.  
  
"Expelliarmus." She said simply, and his wand soared over to her, where she took it instantly, and felt something jet up her arm. She took no notice of it for a few seconds, but then the pain in her arm was unavoidable. Her arm appeared to be glowing where she held his wand, and there was a crackling noise somewhere around her.  
  
Her arm began to burn, and she couldn't move it, no matter how hard she tried to, it was as though it were a stone arm. There was a noise, similar to an explosion, and a huge pain was erupting in her temples, and she lay back on her bed.  
  
Pain was erupting through her mind, her soul seemed to be changing, her eyes closed tightly, as though it would help to block out the pain, but it seemed to help it intensify.  
  
She didn't know how much more of the pain she would be able to bear. Was this what it was like for Harry, every time his scar hurt, did he always feel this kind of intense, burning, nauseating pain?  
  
How could anyone stand it? Someone was screaming, she didn't know who. For all she knew, it could have been herself that was screaming, noises now meant nothing. Sound was irrelevant. As, apparently, was sight, because she could no longer see anything besides burning and searing red bolts.  
  
She couldn't hear anymore, nothing made a noise, nothing moved, as she couldn't see, and none of her other senses seemed to be working. The only thing she could feel was the burning pain in her head and arm.  
  
Her arm may as well have broken off, because she couldn't stand the pain. It felt like millions of darning needles were being shoved through it, puncturing it more and more at every second.  
  
Silence fell on the room, and, she didn't know how long, for every second seemed like an eternity, and when Draco finally went to sleep, Hermione didn't even remember falling asleep, nor did she remember closing her hangings around her bed.  
  
~+~  
  
A small Draco, who couldn't be a day over seven, lay on the foreboding grey floor of what appeared to be the Malfoy Manor, rolling around and laughing. In a few seconds, a small kitten came into view, blacker than the night, but its personality seemed to show through the dark outer exterior, and the way Draco's eyes seemed to light up when it looked at him, the way his laugh seemed to be completely genuine.  
  
The kitten swatted at his hair that was his face, and it turned its chocolate colored eyes at him, which stirred something inside of him, made him feel warm and he laughed and called out the kittens name in between laughter.  
  
The kitten looked at him and mewed softly, something it the way it mewed suggested that something was coming, something was going to spoil their fun, but Draco seemed to ignore it, and he taunted the kitten with a small ball of yarn, held on the end with a string.  
  
The kitten took the bait and pounced at it with vigor, landing squarely in his lap, looking a little disoriented. Draco laughed again and stroked the kitten, a smile brightening his face as nothing else could.  
  
He stood up and bent over so he could look at the kitten through his legs and the kitten swatted at his hair and stumbled and rolled over, making Draco laugh again, his smile reaching all the way up to his eyes, making his expression look nothing short of joyful.  
  
Apparently his laughter had disturbed beings downstairs, because angry footsteps were storming up the stairs, but Draco seemed to take no notice at first, and then he stiffened, and grabbed the kitten hurriedly, which mewed indignantly and tried to get away from him, but he grasped it firmly and began running down the hall, away from something.  
  
An angry voice filled the hall, it seemed to echo through the corridor, and it brought fear to the silver-haired boy that was running, a black mass of kitten fur clasped in his hands. Words soon became distinguishable and it became clear that they weren't happy words.  
  
"Stop, DRACO, STOP!" the voice roared, and when Draco turned around, there was the angriest Lucius Malfoy that the world has never seen, and perhaps that is a good thing.  
  
The voice, however, seemed to inspire Draco to run faster rather than to stop running and obey the commands. Something about the way he was running and the desolate mews that the kitten was giving gave the impression that something bad was about to happen.  
  
It mewed desolately and Draco frantically tried to hush it as he was running down the sinister halls of the large, empty building that he had grown to call his home, even if he didn't like it.  
  
Eventually, Lucius caught up with the panicking and panting boy, who had hastily shoved the kitten to be hidden away in his pocket and told it to be absolutely silent, but as animals have their way of making their presence known tha the worst time, the kitten mewed right when Lucius was very much so within earshot, and his face turned a deathly red, while Draco became paler than ever before.  
  
"What is THIS?" he asked, and before Draco could do anything, the kitten was in his hands, squirming from his tight grasp. Draco tried to protest, but he was hushed and made to look at his father with awe, respect and fear all mixed into one. He gulped and watched his father.  
  
"What is the purpose of this?" he asked, and Draco stared at him for a few seconds before answering, and he should have known to keep his mouth closed, but he was too young to have learned this valuable skill yet.  
  
"It's my kitty!" Draco exclaimed, trying to reach for it, but his father held it out of grasp and Draco continued talking, trying, desperately, to get his kitten back. "And I love it!" he said, and tried to grab the kitten again, but Lucius was now livid.  
  
"Love? LOVE? LOVE?! Love is a weakness, a very vial and filthy weakness. To love is to be weaker than weak, and a Malfoy or a son of MINE has NO weakness." Lucius said. "To love is to die." He said, and he dropped the kitten to the floor and walked away.  
  
Draco stood still for a few seconds, watching his father walking away, and he only moved when he was sure that his father was truly gone.  
  
When Draco's attention turned to the kitten, he saw that it wasn't moving. At first he hoped it had taken his lead and had decided not to move, but this became evidently not the case.  
  
He scrambled over to it and poked it, expecting it to swat at him as it normally did, to move at all, to breathe, to do something. Panic began surging through him. He cradled it in his hands for a second and tried to poke it again.  
  
It moved where he poked it, but showed no signs of life. He waved the yarn ball in front of its eyes, waiting for it to strike it, to pounce on the yarn ball. He leaned over it and waited for it to turn its chocolate eyes onto him, to give him that warm feeling inside, but its eyes stayed closed.  
  
Somewhere in his mind, something told him that the kitten was dead, but he didn't believe it. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it.  
  
It couldn't be true, there was no way that it could be dead, because it was just alive, he had just been playing with it, not even twenty minutes ago. It had been breathing and moving then. Why not now? There must be something that Draco could do.  
  
Draco grabbed it and hugged to his chest, desperately trying to make it move, but to no avail. The now lifeless kitten was huddled at Draco's chest where he held it firmly, its fur wet.  
  
Wet with tears.  
  
Draco's tears.  
  
This was Draco's first lesson that he could remember. Never love, for what you love will be lost and can never be brought back, but what Lucius didn't know was that he had taught Draco another lesson that would scar him forever.  
  
If his father said that love was weakness, and claimed that he wasn't weak, then his father must not love his mother, which told young Draco that love was not a skill that was needed to succeed. Just power and no weaknesses.  
  
~+~  
  
When her eyes snapped open, she found herself staring into the eyes of a stranger. A gray-eyed stranger. She didn't know who they were, but somehow she could sense that they were worried. Something must be wrong.  
  
She reached out to ask, and their face retreated, vanished in a cloud of green, and she would never know who they were. Frantically rubbing her eyes, Hermione blinked furiously and drug her hands across her face.  
  
Her heart was pounding and her temples were throbbing. She had just seen one of Draco's memories. She had her answer now. She knew why he was so horrible to be around, and, although it wasn't very rational for someone his age, she completely understood. He had been hurt deeply in the past.  
  
She tried to get the image of a dead kitten on the dark floor out of her mind, but the more she tried to forget about it, the more the image seemed to surface up to her mind, becoming all that she could see for lapses of time. Sometimes ten seconds or more.  
  
She could still almost hear Lucius's angry voice echoing through the hall and she could almost feel the terror that must have been coursing through Draco at that moment, the few seconds before his father had caught up with him.  
  
His father hadn't ever been there for him, and even though he was still alive, he did nothing to show him that he loved him, for all Draco knew, his father hated the very thought of him and thought that he was as vial as Draco said she was.  
  
How could his father stand to do this to his one and only son? Didn't he have any sense of right and wrong? And how did Draco manage to live through his childhood if it was like this?  
  
She began to feel sorry for him, even if she didn't think that he deserved her sympathy, she decided to give it to him anyway, no matter whether he wanted it or not. She couldn't believe what she had just seen.  
  
Hermione could only imagine how devastated he was when the kitten had died, Hermione knew how devastated she would be if Crookshanks died, but this was a very young Draco, he probably hadn't even discovered what death was before that point, and he had learned at such a young age.  
  
Before she realized it, she had tears rolling down her cheeks, and she couldn't figure out why. She sat in confusion for a few moments, trying to sort out what she was feeling, and something stuck her, and it struck her hard.  
  
She had realized that something was changing in the way she thought about him, and it seemed that the worse he was to her, the more this feeling seemed to erupt in her chest and follow her around in the pit of her stomach.  
  
It wasn't until right now, Hermione realized what this all meant, and even now she wasn't completely sure, but everything was beginning to add up. The strange feelings, the unexplainable actions, the stupid exchanges of words, the protecting feeling that she had whenever she was around him, trying to hide herself.  
  
She, Hermione Adelade Granger, was falling for Draco Malfoy, the worlds' biggest prat.  
  
Hermione moaned and flopped on her bed.  
  
Her life was officially over.  
  
~+~  
  
A/N: Here ya go.  
  
R/R  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	28. Here it Begins

Lorien11 - Oh, thanks. I was wondering how I could make it easier because some people don't like the update alert things, and you better believe I'm 12, because I am!  
  
Soldier of Mercy - You're a red belt in. . .? Tae Kwon Do? And if you are, it's different for me, because I have a belt in between black and red. I'm currently a black belt and I am getting my second degree black belt on Saturday. I've been doing Tae Kwon Do for six years. Anyway. . . enjoy the chapter.  
  
Artemis MoonClaw - LOL, yes, they seemed to fit perfectly, didn't they?  
  
Cloudy Crystals - What was funny about it? Maybe I don't see the funniness because I am the author.  
  
ShadowRogue - Yes, it was sad, but it had to be written.  
  
Christie - Sorry - I used to be able to update more frequently - I am so stinkin' busy now it's not funny.  
  
Da-lil-one114 - Hey chinagurl! Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Lynseyax Heparedds - Ehm. . . I don't. . .know? LOL! Hi Jade! =D  
  
Darkmoon of Shadows - Muffled suspense? Something new for me to take into consideration! HA! Wow, such compliments - thank you very much.  
  
Love-princess1 - Ha! I got it out BEFORE SEPTEMBER! YAY FOR ME!  
  
ILUVRONWEASLEY - What about it made you giggle? For her middle name, I was looking for names that mean things in other languages for my original story, but I found that and it has to do with intelligence and insecurities, so I was reminded of Hermione, that's were I found it.  
  
Blueamber - LOL, then in about three chapters you will be REALLY happy, won't you? And no, denial isn't good for you or your skin, is it?  
  
Slytherinangel922 - You don't have to wait long, do you?  
  
Willowfairy - Well, I'm glad you're back.  
  
Rotae - Hmm . . . HAM? LOL, that sounds more like Malfoy than Hermione, doesn't it? Yes, I am 12, not thirteen, and I didn't think I was that good. Thanks for loving my story, and whoopee! I updated!  
  
M.J. Kobayashi - Yes, she is, and I am swamped with things to be doing, but I will NOT stop writing. =D  
  
Chapter 26  
  
Hermione took it upon herself to avoid making any kind of contact with Draco whatsoever over the next few weeks. She had no idea as to whether he knew that she had seen the memory, and she didn't want to have to face him, she didn't know how to react to anything anymore, because nothing was making much sense.  
  
Her thoughts weren't muddled as she had thought they would be - she was actually quite blank of any thoughts and emotions which was what worried her the most. She wasn't having panic attacks or anything - she felt nothing at all.  
  
She didn't want to be in love with her enemy - not in love, infatuated - and she denied it at every opportunity and then when the opportunity wasn't presenting itself. She was sure that anyone who was paying any attention whatsoever would have been able to tell that something was wrong between the two of them.  
  
She snapped at any mere mention of his name, and she lost all self-control when anything happened because of him. It hurt her more to think that she was the only one having these feelings - he felt nothing toward her at all. She was the one that felt in this one sided relationship, and she didn't know how much more she was going to will herself to take before she lost it altogether. She was torn between logic and feelings.  
  
Her logic told her that this all could be a joke and that she didn't know how to read her feelings, and her feelings told her logic to stuff it in a corner and abandon its preaching exercises. She was going to have to get used to being confused every day of her life, and she might as well start here, because feelings like these were going to haunt her for the rest of her life.  
  
~+~  
  
It went on until Hermione couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't stand not talking to someone, but she couldn't stand talking to someone. She finally made the decision that she was going to have to talk to someone, soon too, and she didn't know who to talk to.  
  
She wasn't going to give anyone that she used to be friends with satisfaction of knowing that she needed them when they didn't need her in the least, but she wasn't about to talk to someone she didn't know about her deepest problems and secrets, and she had no intention of ever facing Draco Malfoy ever again, so she was stuck in a deep rut that she had no hope of emerging out of.  
  
Hermione skipped all of her classes that day, and instead, spent all of her time at the library. It wasn't like anyone would notice anyway. She was gone all the time anyway, doing studies for Dumbledore, pretending to do studies for Dumbledore, trying to regain her sanity - all of which were done in the library.  
  
Near the end of the day, right before dinner, Draco Malfoy waltzed in, and she attempted to hide herself and make herself as small and invisible as possible, but it didn't work and she was right in his line of vision. To her utter horror, he walked right toward her and her table, sat down directly across from her, and leaned over to her, his face saying something impassive, but she was too stricken to say anything.  
  
Now, in her nightmares, this normally was the horrible and ghastly part where she woke up abruptly, finding herself safely inside of her bed, but she couldn't wake up now, and she was inches away from his face, waiting for whatever was going to happen to happen and get over with.  
  
"Don't talk to me anymore - leave me alone, got it Granger?" he said, and he made to get up and leave quickly, but Hermione grabbed his sleeve savagely and pulled him back down into his seat with a THUMP!. She needed to make him speak more words, because things needed to start making sense and they were going to start making sense. . .NOW.  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked. "Why did you even bother saying that to me if you know I wanted to avoid you anyway?" Hermione asked and Draco's face remained as neutral as ever, which completely angered Hermione. When would he learn to show some kind of emotion that would let someone know what was going on in the overly large head of his?  
  
Draco whipped around, very suspiciously, making sure that nobody was watching or listening to him, which made Hermione even more suspicious than she already was with the whole matter. What was so important that he had to make sure that nobody was listening? And why did he have to play the 'James Bond' character. She almost snorted when she thought of him introducing himself.  
  
'My name's Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.' Her attention was immediately turned back to him, however, when he spoke again.  
  
"My father is after someone, he wants to kill them." Pause for dramatic effect. "Immediately." Hermione rolled her eyes at this statement. Like she didn't know this information already?  
  
"Duh, Malfoy, I already know that." He looked confused for a moment, so Hermione went on.  
  
"Harry, everyone's always after Harry." Hermione said matter-o-factly, and Draco gave her a look of venom.  
  
"No, he's not after Potter." He said, as though he were trying to stress his non-existent point. The urgency in his voice seemed to make Hermione want to listen, but his words were just so preposterous that she didn't want to believe them, no matter how much truth actually rang in them. She simply refused to believe what she was being told to believe.  
  
"He's after you, Hermione, he wants to kill you." Draco's words were hushed, as though he didn't want to speak them, but was being forced to. That, or, maybe he wasn't supposed to be seen with her?  
  
"Why would your father want to kill me?" Hermione asked stupidly, even she was aware of how dumb she sounded, but she couldn't take her words back now, so she might as well play the dumb.  
  
She was beginning to believe this charade when words from the past hit her and they hit her with such force that she couldn't remember why she had even considered speaking to him in the first place.  
  
"I'm just a lowly mudblood, remember?" she asked scornfully and made to get up.  
  
"He wants to kill you because you have access to the powers of the founders. He wants me to be the only person with the powers so he can - so he can - do . . . things with my power, alright?" again, Draco made to get up, but Hermione decided now would be a nice time to try to talk to him.  
  
"No, not alright. Why do you let your father walk all over you?" Hermione asked, and by the confused look on Malfoy's face, he didn't have a clue what she was talking about.  
  
"Look, I know things that he's done to you when you were younger." Hermione said delicately, and she watched as he immediately turned away.  
  
"I'm not going to talk about that stuff, alright? Just steer clear of my father, and stop poking into my business. Just leave me alone." With that, Draco walked away before Hermione's brain even had a moment to register what had happened, let alone think of some excuse to make him stay.  
  
~+~  
  
She couldn't make up her mind whether she wanted to talk to him or not, she didn't know whether she COULD talk to him or not. Everything was so mixed up inside of her that she was sure something was going to come out wrong, or something was going to com out that she didn't WANT to come out, and that could have worse consequences than having something come out wrong.  
  
She shuddered at the thought of Draco - no, Malfoy - knowing her deepest and most sacred thoughts. He would most certainly abuse the privilege of knowing her secrets, and, pretty soon, the entire student body would also know her secrets in a matter of seconds.  
  
Sighing to herself because she was trying to release her pent up frustrations and worries, Hermione decided to go to the library, like she always did, but was stopped short by some words that were echoing around in her mind.  
  
'. . . stop poking into my business. Just leave me alone . . .' something was wrong with those words. They hadn't sounded like hollow threats as his words normally did. Something had been different about his words, as though he didn't want her to see him saying something. . .  
  
Or doing something . . .  
  
Hermione immediately forgot all of her plans that she had had and began running down the halls toward the Advanced Transfiguration dormitory, hoping that something horrible hadn't happened before she could reach it. She didn't know how, but she had this feeling in her stomach that something was going to happen and there was nothing happy about it.  
  
She rushed through the door by banging on the portrait and gunning it up the stairs, and when she opened the door, she did so quietly - she didn't want to inadvertently cause something bad to happen because that was what she was trying to stop.  
  
She glanced around the room, looking for something and anything that was out of the ordinary. Her eyes finally came to rest on Draco Malfoy's form, leaning against the window frame, standing on top of the windowsill. She let a small gasp of air escape her when she realized how stupid she had been. Nothing was happening.  
  
But then she looked closer and noted the way his hands were positioned on the wall, the way his body was leaning and the defeated way his body stood and it all made sense to her. He was going to kill himself, and not just kill himself, but the muggle way. The painful way.  
  
She didn't dare to move, not knowing whether her movement would spur him to jump right then or not, and she didn't even breathe, afraid that she might cause something else to happen if she dared.  
  
Somehow she had to make him come down from there, but she had no idea how. What was she going to do? For once in her life, Hermione Granger didn't know what she was supposed to do. She didn't know the answer.  
  
She could run and pretend that she didn't know about it and pretend to be shocked like everyone else when his lifeless form was deposited into the ground, but she would never forgive herself. Even if she didn't like him that much (LIAR, her mind yelled) she couldn't stand to see him die, especially if she could do something about it, but the thing was, Hermione wasn't she that she could do something about it.  
  
She was worried that if he even briefly heard her, he would jump without looking back, and then there would be nothing she could do.  
  
He moved, situating himself closer to the edge, and her mind screamed at her to do something before it was too late. She had to do something now, or else he was going to jump and fall to his death. She had to make her arms and legs work before she was forced to watch and hear someone die.  
  
Again, he inched closer to the edge, and Hermione couldn't move. She was rooted to the spot, forced to watch without actually having the ability to move her body parts. She was forced to watch some sick movie, and she couldn't breath, she couldn't move at all.  
  
He picked up one of his feet, dangling it haphazardly over the edge, and suddenly her frozen-ness evaporated. She sprung forward and seized a large mass of his robes, jerking him backward and causing him to tumble down onto the floor, on top of her and her book bag, but she had succeeded it her mission, for now anyway, but he was now more angry than she had ever seen him in her life.  
  
She couldn't tell whether he was more angry at her, for stopping him, or at himself, for not carrying out with his plan before someone came in and stopped him from doing so. Either way, he was seething, and she didn't like to see this side of him any more than she wanted to see him dead. Tough choices.  
  
"Granger." He muttered, slowly advancing on her, and she stumbled backward. She had never seen such fury in anyone before, not even when Harry had been mad at Voldemort for ruining his life and killing his parents.  
  
She wouldn't have been surprised of Draco pulled out his wand and started casting unforgivable on her. His fury reached every feature on his face, every bone in his body. Even his eyes, his normally stone cold and unreadable eyes were blazing with hatred, and Hermione decided that it was time to. . .  
  
RUN.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione had run into the library, and she was panting, but she was sure that she had lost Malfoy, or he had given up the chase, for now.  
  
"He'll probably kill me in my sleep." Hermione thought. She turned and heart s rustling of paper in her pocket. Puzzled, she reached in to find out what was going to be inside of it.  
  
It was an envelope that had her name on it, but she didn't recognize the handwriting and there was something hard inside of it.  
  
She unfolded the note and let the small stone slide into her palm.  
  
Hermione -  
  
This was given to me a while ago, and I though you might need it more than I do.  
  
Dean  
  
Hermione peered curiously at the stone in her hand, wondering what it was, and when she looked at it, she gasped. It was a moon-stone. These were one of the rarest things on earth - how was it that he managed to get a hold of one? They were very expensive too - why was Dean giving this to her? It made no logical sense at all.  
  
She shrugged it off, however, and pocketed the stone, not really understanding why she even had it in the first place, and she leaned against the bookshelf, knocking a book off of the shelf. Instantly, she felt an odd sensation in her stomach, and with a plummeting feeling in her heart, she realized that she must have knocked the book off the shelf that accessed the "secret room" that she had seen before.  
  
When the "transfer" was complete, Hermione stopped breathing as she took in the scene before her. Lucius Malfoy and a number of men that she didn't recognize were all standing in that room, there were no skeletons there as there had been last time, there were no knives with blood. It was an empty room save for the death eaters - no, someone had said they weren't death eaters - evil people that were crowded in the room.  
  
"We've been waiting for you, Miss Granger." Lucius said, and Hermione wished she could faint like they always did in the movies, but she found herself unable to. "This won't take long." Lucius continued, and he pulled out a knife. It was all Hermione could do to keep herself from gasping. That was the knife that had "flown" of its own accord the last time she had been in here. She knew it, it had to be exactly the same, it looked exactly the same.  
  
"What's the matter, Mudblood?" Lucius asked, mistaking her look of shock for one of horror. "Afraid that we might," he put the knife to her throat. "Kill you?"  
  
"No." Hermione said through gritted teeth and she stuck her chin out proudly. If she was going to die, she wasn't going to die a coward.  
  
"The Mudblood thinks that her friends are going to save her from this one, does she?" Lucius said hollowly and he and his friends began laughing, but new hope sprang in Hermione. Everyone was coming back from the exchange program today. Maybe Harry or Ron COULD save her. Maybe.  
  
"Leave her alone, father."  
  
Hermione would have liked to whip around, but the knife at her throat was preventing her. Malfoy - no, might as well call him Draco - had walked in, and his father didn't look happy.  
  
Hermione gulped.  
  
Somethings were about to get interesting.  
  
~+~  
  
A/N: Alright, so I'll TRY to get some more out before I go to California, but no promises.  
  
ALSO!!!  
  
If you've seen Pirates of the Caribbean, then please read my PotC fanfiction!  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	29. Action At Last

Crystal369 - Wow, such compliments, thank you very much. You make me feel good. Writer's block for three years? Sheesh, I think it's time to kill it. Here use this : Killus my Writereth Blocketh!  
  
Angel of Flames - Oh, it's very easy to leave stories at a cliffhanger like that, in fact, it's somewhat fun, because everyone seems to panic!  
  
New Hope - Fall in love really quick? Well, it's not gonna happen yet, but I'll let you in on a secret. . . (It's coming soon, REALLY soon.)  
  
ILUVRONWEASLEY - Alright, thanks for reviewing, and to make the ellipsis (. . .) you have to put spaces between the dots. Some of my other pieces (and I think part of this story) had ellipsis that got edited to one. Ugh.  
  
I Give It All to Mr. Black - Holy cheese! Such a long review. Let's see what I can say in return. . . About the rushed romance, that really bothered me when I read other stories, because it is so unrealistic. Hermione doesn't become beautiful, it would never happen, she would never change her look for no reason, and Draco doesn't become a gorgeous hunk that falls in love with Hermione's 'Chocolate eyes of passion'. That makes me sick.  
  
About the cliché things, I tried to steer clear of some of the major ones, but as Good Charlotte has pointed out, 'everything is cliché cliché cliché' in my story. I thought I did a good job, but some of them are hard to ignore. Yes, the moonstone will tie in, and all of your questions will (I hope) make sense soon. Thank you for the long review.  
  
Wutever - Thankie thankie.  
  
Dreaming One - Alright, I'm sorry about that, but I was trying to get the chapter out and everything. I hope this is more to your liking.  
  
Wandless - Wow! I turned you into a Hr/D reader? That's a real compliment, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story. I can't believe I got this many reviews. Maybe I'll make more on the Harry/Ron/Hermione thing, but no guarantees.  
  
Freakyfairy - YES, another cliffie! Ha! Here's more of the fic, that you NEED.  
  
Mudpie - Oh, wow, thank you so much. Enjoy.  
  
Silver Phoenix - Thanks, and I hope you really enjoy this.  
  
Lynseyax Heparedds - Lol! Thank you Jade, I appreciate the compliments, Lynseyax, I know you were going to say nice things so, thank you Lynseyax. Jade, Lynseyax, please get along. :Þ Both of you, enjoy.  
  
Da-lil-one114 - Ooh! I got you into it all over again? Nifty!  
  
aZn-BaYbEe - I will! Don't worry!  
  
Kelzery - LOL, yes, you did end up with one of the worst cliffhangers, didn't you? Oh well, here's more of the story, please enjoy it!  
  
M.J. Kobayashi - Yes, it shall. Please read this chapter and be happy!  
  
Rotae - Yes, yes I am. I am evil.  
  
ShadowRogue - Enjoy PotC and please enjoy this chapter as well!  
  
Darkmoon of Shadows - I am sorry that I couldn't post before I left, but I am back and writing REALLY fast to catch up.  
  
Cloudy Crystals - Thanks, I try to make this interesting, but it is hard. Yes, Lucius was an ice cube, Hermione will address this as well.  
  
Slytherinanglel922 - I slept fine leaving you at a cliffie, and I know you'll come back for more! Lol.  
  
Artemis MoonClaw - Scary? You haven't seen anything happening yet - it will get a little worse before it gets better, like always.  
  
Willowfairy - Yes, I agree, uh-ho.  
  
Blueamber - It's a little late for a chapter tomorrow, huh? Well, here's the chapter now, okay?  
  
Soldier of Mercy - Oh, alright, that makes sense. I lived through my 2nd degree test, and I am happy. I think Draco has already done something foolish. Time to hope and pray. . .  
  
Clichet - Thanks for putting me on your favorites list. It really makes me feel good and special, and I like that. Hope you don't take me off the list when you read this chapter though.  
  
~The Simon Cowell of Fanfiction.net~ - Well, maybe I didn't build on it enough, but he has been going through a lot, now, hasn't he? And he knows what his father is trying to do, wouldn't that be a lot of stress?  
  
Ickle Ronnikins Girlie!!! - Lol, there's no need to write in all caps. Your questions shall be answered as soon as you read!  
  
Accuracy Counts - Alright, thanks.  
  
-  
  
Kay, so this is the chappy, sorry it took so long, I have been so busy it isn't funny, but here is the chapter, so please enjoy it, alright?  
  
---  
  
Chapter 27  
  
Hermione stared at the scene that was unfolding in front of her, and angry thoughts began to cascade through her mind, bubbling like an angry stream and frothing over all of her rational trains of thought. She wasn't particularly angry with any one person, just the group and happenings as a whole.  
  
It was going to end up just like the stupid, bloody movies, and the hero always dies in the movie along with the evil, and then everyone else wallows in selfish and conceited self pity, and Hermione decided that she didn't want this to end like the movies, but she had no idea what she was supposed to do, seeing as she was frozen to the spot, whether by magic or nerves she didn't know.  
  
The group of men that were in the room all appeared to be following Lucius's every order and command, and since Lucius and his son appeared to be having a rather complex and angry glaring contest, the rest of the men were all standing there like the morons they undoubtedly were.  
  
Speaking of Lucius, wasn't he a block of ice the last time that she had met with him? How was it that he could move and be so, so - alive? Wasn't he a solid block of absolutely frozen ice? And if he was, like she was so sure that he had been, then how was it that he was here, right now, threatening to do something to her?  
  
Hermione glared at everything in the room from the purple curtains to the numerous men in front of her. Someone was going to die, she knew it, and something dramatic was going to happen, she was going to get hurt, Draco was going to nearly die trying to save her, and then her life was going to be torn apart. She already knew how her life was going to turn out.  
  
"Son, move." Lucius said angrily, and Draco actually looked as though he were seriously contemplating moving aside, but then seemed to think better of it and moved back, standing in front of his father with a dangerous look of determination crossing across his every feature.  
  
It was almost frightening to look at the ugly looks on his face that he was throwing toward his own father. How could someone show that much hate toward one of the people that had given him life?  
  
"I said, move aside." His father said, once again, trying to stress his point to his son, yet the request (or order, depending on how you looked at it) seemed to fall upon deaf ears, and Draco didn't appear to want to listen to anything that he was saying. He looked as though he were planning to defy his father until the bitter end, and Hermione hoped that it wasn't to save her, but she found the whole situation strangely romantic, something about it intrigued her, and she was beginning to feel guilty about the fact that she was almost enjoying the scene that was playing out in front of her.  
  
She didn't like to think that she might have been the reason that these two family members were arguing and contemplating what appeared to be the others' deaths, and if not death, simply horrific pain.  
  
If she hadn't interfered, then they would still have gotten along, wouldn't they? Neither one of them would have been in this situation if it hadn't been for her, and she couldn't help but feel guilty for things that she had no control over whatsoever.  
  
Hermione hated to feel responsible for something that she couldn't control, but her womanly instincts were kicking in and she could see that every feature in Lucius's face appeared to be contorted into horrible rage and he appeared to want to kill his son, which wasn't a good sign.  
  
She wasn't in the mood to watch someone die, it was bad enough knowing that they were likely to die, but she didn't know if she could stand to actually see someone die right before her eyes. It might be too painful for her to have to endure.  
  
"It's been too long, Father." Draco said, and Hermione's brain locked up, maybe because she didn't understand what was happening, or maybe it was because everything seemed to be blurring together into one enormous and confusing happening and she no longer could comprehend or understand what was going on around her. She was forced to watch as it happened without understanding.  
  
"I'll deal with you later, Draco. Stand aside and let me finish my business. The sooner you step down, the less your punishment will hurt, and don't think I will forget. You will get your punishment, one that you have deserved for many years." Lucius didn't even appear to want to look at his son, which showed very little of the 'fatherly love' that Hermione had always assumed everyone had.  
  
It was at that moment that her eyes decided to start watering from the loss of her father. Not now. Definitely not now. She couldn't cry now, they would think she was afraid, and that was the last thing that she wanted them to think. She would never show fear, no matter how afraid she was.  
  
Despite her fierce orders, the tears still began leaking out of her eyes and she tried to move to hide them, but realized - just in time, I might add - that this would attract their attention, and resigned herself to trying to hide the tears by not moving at all and letting the main focus of the room be on Draco.  
  
It was just like him too, entering with such a showy flourish, the attention would all be turned to him. This was what he wanted - all he was here for was the attention, because she knew that he didn't give a monkey's tail about her or her 'pitiful life', as he was bound to say, so the knife clutched it Lucius's hand would slice her throat and everyone would be happy as clams, except for Hermione, who would be dead.  
  
Her breath caught in her chest as she thought about the knife. She had been here before, and the blood on it had been blue, then it had turned red as it had hurdled across the room. Blood was blue before it had oxygen, and when it touched the oxygen it turned red. It would be HER blood that was on the knife, HER blood turning from blue to red as it flew across the room, away from her dead body.  
  
She was going to die. She was going to die. She repeated to herself over and over again, trying to get used to this idea, but not making it very far. All she could think of that made it feel alright was the fact that she would get to see her father. But what would her mother do? Her poor mother. She would -  
  
Hermione was instantly jerked from her thoughts as she heard a small explosion and she looked up in time to see one of the men behind Lucius catch fire and turn to ash. He didn't even have time to scream before the flames had engulfed him.  
  
Hermione shuddered involuntarily as she watched the ashes and bones fall to the ground, and everyone seemed to be staring at the ashes without a single breath or noise floating through the room. What had happened?  
  
She glanced over at the wall, which was smoking, and it appeared that the fire had shot from that. That didn't make sense. Walls don't shoot fire. They - they just don't do it. Something was different about these walls, and had it been any other time, she would have realized how completely and utterly stupid this sounded, even if it was only thought mentally. It was still stupid.  
  
One of the men leaned against the wall, and it shot fire again, narrowly missing Lucius (much to Hermione's immediate and immense dismay and disappointment) and colliding with the opposite wall. Fire shooting and walls shooting the fire. This wasn't logical, heck, it wasn't even cliché. It was just confusing beyond all reason and then some. Something was wrong.  
  
She must have read something about this before. Her thirst for knowledge had to be able to help her now; it just had to because it had never let her down before. She needed to think of something that would help her mind tie everything together, but so far, she was getting nowhere. Everything was swirling and mixing up into her eyes and mind, and it was getting on her nerves.  
  
"I-" Hermione was cut off by the splitting pain of something both large and heavy being smashed against her head, and the last thing Hermione remembered was the look of utter horror and dislike that Draco was delivering his own father and the look of hatred that coursed through his father's features.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione's eyes fluttered open, but she promptly squinted, making it look like she hadn't awoken. She didn't need them to know she was awake seeing as she was lucky enough to not be dead as it was.  
  
It seemed that fire had stopped erupting from the walls, but that was not for certain. Ten men stood, all wearing the god-awful purple cloaks that swirled around their ankles with every move they made, and it was all that Hermione could do to keep herself from snorting. That was just like a Malfoy.  
  
Draco had a large cut across his cheek that was bleeding, but he didn't even appear to notice the cut. He was deeply engrossed in a wizard's duel with his father, and all of the men standing behind Lucius were standing there stupidly. Lucius yelled something incomprehensible at them and they moved into action.  
  
She was roughly jerked up and fought the impulse to stiffen, scream or make any movements that would show she wasn't still out cold. As long as they thought she were unconscious then she should be considerably safe.  
  
She was about to continue watching the happenings in front of her when she felt something cool and thin press against her throat and with every gulp of air that she took it seemed to press tighter to her throat.  
  
She didn't need to see the hilt nor the hand by her neck to know that the knife was being pressed against her throat, nor did she particularly want the memories of stories she had read to float to the surface, reminding her that the knife could kill her in one, fatal strike.  
  
"Step down or the girl dies." Lucius said, and for one, fleeting moment hope had surged inside of Hermione, her hope had told her that someone would save her and she wouldn't need to worry about dying, but Draco crushed her thoughts.  
  
"She is of no importance to me." Draco said in cold, harsh, even tones and Hermione's last bubble of hope faded away into the nothingness of her unconscious mind and was substituted by the weighing rock of misery. She was going to die.  
  
"Then why do you insist on defying me at every turn? Why can't you learn your proper place?" Lucius barely whispered, but his words seemed to echo through the room, and more so through the very souls and bones of every person in the room, causing a few people to shudder, and Hermione had to forcefully remind herself that she was supposed to be unconscious.  
  
"My place is wherever I decide to be." Draco said, and there are no words to describe the look of pure hate and venom that became instantly etched across Lucius's face. He looked like he would not stop short of killing his son, even if he were his only heir.  
  
Lucius appeared to be completely beyond caring what happened to this boy, no longer wanting him to be his son, in front of him. He nodded to the man holding Hermione hostage, and she felt a searing pain across her throat. He had slashed it. She was dying, the blade cut in further. . . she was losing thoughts and life. . .  
  
Hermione felt an odd sensation and she could feel her soul slipping away from her body, as though she were simply shedding a layer of clothing, but she knew that she was dead now. She was heading somewhere, but she had no idea where.  
  
She was going, going, and then she felt herself stopping. She looked around and saw that there was a man near her, he looked oddly familiar, something was different about this man. She had the feeling that she shouldn't be able to see this man, but he was here in front of her, and she could see him.  
  
"'Mione." He said, and her heard, or whatever she had now that she was dead, stopped and she couldn't think. This was her father. Her father was here and she would be with him again. She had a father back.  
  
"'Mione, you need to listen to me."  
  
Hermione nodded happily.  
  
"I have all the time in the world."  
  
"Never forget to," Hermione felt herself moving backward, away from her father. That was wrong, she needed to be with her father, she HAD to be with her father, this was cruel and unusual punishment and she didn't like it one, single bit. In fact, she hated it.  
  
It was as though someone were pulling her backward, she could almost feel someone's hand closed around her arm and she reached out for her father and she needed to go back to her father.  
  
"Appreciate everything-" whatever was at the end of his sentence, Hermione didn't know, but she felt herself coming back to life. She was getting warmer and she felt her chest heaving up and down. Something was wrong, but she had no idea what was going on right now.  
  
Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she looked around. Everyone in the room seemed astounded that she was there, and even she was shocked. Why wasn't she dead? She was absolutely sure that she had been dead, because she had felt the knife pierce through her skin. It wasn't as though she weren't happy to be alive, but she was confused to say the least.  
  
She couldn't hear at first, but she saw Draco say something to his father, and his father glared at him, more angry than he had been before, which was hard to believe, seeing as he had seemed as angry as he could get before.  
  
"Stand aside, you stupid, worthless, filth." He spat angrily and Hermione wouldn't have been shocked if he had actually and literally spit at Draco's feet, but he didn't. Hermione noted the immense cold tones and the way he didn't even use his own son's name.  
  
That was probably what was the worst blow to Draco and his already damaged and killed ego, and that was probably what set him off. She had never seen him lose his cool, but he did just then, and right in front of his father.  
  
It looked like Draco decided that he couldn't take it anymore. It appeared as though he wanted to give his father his come-uppance for every, single thing that he had done to him through his entire childhood.  
  
Hermione could only imagine what he had done to Draco over the years, seeing as she had only seen one of the, most likely, many horrible memories that Draco lived with his entire life. She could almost relate with his immense dislike just because of the single memory that she had witnessed.  
  
"I'm not worthless, you're the one that's worthless. You strut down the halls in your expensive robes with your goons flanking you and you make me want to be sick. You always gloat about your money, and your looks, and your perfect life. I would like to hex you every time I lay eyes on you."  
  
It was all Hermione could do to keep from doing something that she would regret later. She had said the exact same thing to him earlier in the year, but she never expected her words to come back and be used on someone else. So maybe he did hear more than she gave him credit for.  
  
Lucius's nose wrinkled and he yelled something at his comrades, who sprang into action, just like the last times he had yelled at them, and Hermione still couldn't understand what they were saying, which unnerved her for some reason.  
  
Next thing Hermione knew, the knife wasn't on her neck anymore and it was in Lucius's hand. Time seemed to stand still as she watched what happened next, and it wasn't until later that she realized she wasn't breathing.  
  
Lucius's hand seemed to clench on the knife as though making a decision, and the determination in his eyes scared Hermione. She didn't mind pretending to be unconscious now that the knife wasn't at her neck, and she watched what was happening and she could remember it with shocking clarity.  
  
Lucius bounded forward, and she could almost feel the heat and anger radiating off of him, and she had no time to even breathe let alone scream a single warning to Draco as his father lunged at him with a knife, which Hermione was sure by now, was not a normal knife, because his father could have killed him with a simple curse and been done with it, but he was using the knife. Something was special about it.  
  
Hermione didn't even have enough presence of mind to screw her eyes shut as she watched the knife penetrate Draco's skin and sink into his chest. It seemed to be a delayed reaction, but it may have just been the way her mind was processing things, but Draco's scream of pain and anguish and probably anger filled the room, and it was right then that the room began to look more like how it had been when she had been in there before.  
  
The knife inside of Draco was in the exact spot that the knife she had seen before had seemed to be 'hovering', and she was sure now that the blood on it would be blue until it came out, but she didn't consciously make this connection.  
  
She didn't remember wrenching herself out of the man's grasp, nor did she remember taking the steps that brought her across the room, but she was suddenly somehow right next to Draco, staring down at him and his gushing wound. His eyes were glossy - just like the kitten's eyes had in the dream/memory. But the kitten had . . . the kitten had been . . . dead. . .  
  
Hermione forced this thought down, and she heard utter chaos erupting behind her. Lucius was beginning one of the most complicated spells that were known to ancient magicians.  
  
Hermione happened to glance at the ceiling, and when she did, her stomach seemed to drop out and she felt her heart skip a beat. There were ancient marks etched into the ceiling, which meant that there was a very ancient spell on the room. More ancient than anything in this castle should have been.  
  
The marks were complicated, and from what Hermione could tell, it was a warding and shielding charm, and any spells that were cast within the room were sure to be deadly. They would kill everyone. Did Lucius know that? Surely he wouldn't want to risk his own well being to kill her and his son, right?  
  
Draco was slowly bleeding to death, Lucius was close to killing everyone in the room, and Hermione had nothing. She had no idea what she was going to do, and she needed to know - right now.  
  
Hermione yanked the knife out of Draco and threw it over her shoulder, trying to think of what she was going to do. She needed to shield herself and Draco before Lucius's spell hit, or they were all dead, and that would mean that there was nothing left for her to think of or look forward to.  
  
She reached out into her pocket and felt something cold. She fingered it for a few seconds and she still didn't know what it was. What was in her hand?  
  
Her heart skipped another beat.  
  
The moonstone.  
  
It was a powerful magical aid, and she knew that she only had one chance to do this because if she messed up there wouldn't be enough time to try to redo what she had done.  
  
She threw the moonstone in the air, and she froze. She had no idea what she was going to do now. She had no idea at all. She had always assumed that she would just "know" when it was time to do whatever she had to do, but now it was time and she still didn't know what to do.  
  
"Oh god, please work." Was all she could think, and if she had been paying any attention to anything else whatsoever, she would have heard someone else muttering something, but she wasn't paying attention and she didn't notice.  
  
Lucius's spell exploded and the symbols in the ceiling glowed red hot, and Hermione tried to close her eyes and not allow herself to watch, btu she found that it was as though she had to, and she couldn't look back.  
  
Every man was engulfed in a blue flame and they simply disappeared, leaving Hermione to wonder what really happened to them.  
  
~+~  
  
What do I still have unanswered? Tell me please.  
  
R/R!!!  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	30. What Happens to Draco

Lauren - Oh, you'll see, but I don't think it's what you think.  
  
Dreaming One - Probably a little of both, but I hope some things will get cleared up soon.  
  
Blueamber - Lol, cliff hangers are the best way to ensure someone comes back, I've said it before and I'm saying it again. It's TRUE!  
  
Crystal369 - Well, no, I didn't think they would make the block go away, but I hope it made you laugh, either at the stupidity or my naïve - ness. Yes, I am aware the cliffies are mean, but you gotta love 'em.  
  
~The Simon Cowell of Fanfiction.net~ - I know, I know, but it was sorta the confusing part. Actually, I think the whole story is confusing.  
  
Darkmoon of Shadows - Wow, such compliments. I really wasn't sure about this chapter, I mean, I didn't know how everyone would like it, but apparently you like it. That's always good. I enjoyed reading your review, it made me feel very good. I hope this chapter is acceptable too. :)  
  
Vu - Thank you! Please enjoy!  
  
Mandarinn Orange - Of course, I am updating as we speak!!  
  
ILUVRONWEASLEY - Ellipses, and you're welcome.  
  
Mudpie - Yes it is off the subject, but yes I do. And "wow" is always a good word. Thanks!  
  
MARTITA - At the edge of your seat? That is REALLY cool!  
  
Willowfairy - lol, I made you wait, huh? LOL! Force me to update? Your review made me WANT to update. Here's more!  
  
Artemis MoonClaw - Is that a pretending to understand review or an "I understand" review?  
  
Lynseyax Heparedds - LOL, poor Jade. You two don't get along. Don't worry, just see what happens to Draco here. I made you enjoy the story more? Wow, that's always a good thing. Enjoy moremore!  
  
Ickle Ronniekins Girlie!! - Lol, I dunno, IS he dead? Read and find out.  
  
Crazzieaddict06 - Wow, thanks for the many many compliments, they make me feel especially special. Or something like that. I'm tired. Lol.  
  
Lady Scarlett1 - CLIFFIE! YES!!! Read and see! Read and see!  
  
~*iNfLueNZa*~ - sheesh, how much did you read? I hope I updated quickly enough for you, I am getting busy now, lol.  
  
daisuke_malfoy39 - yes, as I have mentioned before, Draco Malfoy will NEVER become 'instantly nice'. Ya know, that sounds like a product. Insta-nice.  
  
Freakyfairy - letter will come later, I promise, really, I do.  
  
M.J. Kobayashi - LOL, it stopped yes, but now there's more, so have fun!  
  
Silinde - Thanks for reviewing, and I was just wondering . . . what drew you to read my story? Was it the number of reviews or something? Thanks for reviewing my other story too, potc. I appreciate it.  
  
---  
  
Chapter 28  
  
Hermione wasted no time trying to figure out what had happened to the men and instead busied herself with trying to make Malfoy stop bleeding. He had already lost a ton of blood, and he needed to be healed now or he was sure to die.  
  
She had no idea what she was actually going to do because every thought she came up with was impossible to actually achieve, especially here. There was no time to head to the hospital wing, the moonstone was gone and Hermione's mind was still blissfully blank.  
  
She was running every thought and memory through her mind, trying to think of one thing that would help her, she didn't want to see Draco die, even if he hadn't come here to save her, she still couldn't just let him die. She desperately needed to remember something that she had learnt in class or something she had read or even something she had been told. Anything at all.  
  
Think, she silently commanded her jarring brain, think.  
  
Draco was showing no signs of moving let alone and signs of life, which meant that he was losing strength, because she was sure he would have used any energy he could to thoroughly insult her before he was completely out of energy, and if she didn't do something now. . .  
  
Hermione shuddered and forced herself to think of what to do. She had to heal him somehow, but there was nothing to do. . .  
  
She watched as his blood continued to seep through his robes and now ver musy uniform. She might as well try to stop the bleeding.  
  
She ripped her socks and tied them tightly around his chest, hoping to stem some of the flow of blood, but these tricks didn't seem to work as well on real live people as they did in the movies. The blood seeped through, and Hermione was beginning to feel sick, as she thought of the blood and knife and everything that had happened in the last few hours.  
  
Tears were beginning to seep out her eyes as she now resigned herself to knowing that he was dying, right here at her hands and there was nothing she could do. The last thing he had seen was his father trying to kill him, and how happy he would be when - if - he knew it had worked.  
  
"What will I do without you?" she asked him out loud, almost wishing for an answer, but not wanting one at the same time. Remembering everything that he had done to her was somewhat of a painful and enjoyable experience in one. It didn't seem to matter anymore where they stood on the social ladder, mudblood and pureblood, Slytherin and Gryffindor. None of it was relevant in a life and death situation, now, was it?  
  
"Nobody will be there to keep me in line. I won't be called a mudblood anymore." Hermione smiled sadly. "It's funny how I feel like an old woman, looking back on a childhood and thinking about how stupid everything was. And I'm only fifteen." It was amazing at how miniscule all of the things he had said and done seemed now, especially since . . .  
  
"Things will be different without you around, you know that, don't you? Harry won't have a rival in Quiddich and everything else, Ron won't have stress-relieving topic, Pansy won't have an idol. . ." Hermione almost sniggered at the thought, but held it back. She wasn't even sure if he could hear her.  
  
'I won't have a crush anymore.' Hermione wanted to say. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but the words wouldn't come out of her mouth. They were stuck, she couldn't talk, and she couldn't breathe. All she could think about was what was going to happen to Draco.  
  
She hadn't ever realized that she would actually miss Draco Malfoy, but now that it looked like he was going to be gone, she realized that she was going to miss him, and she wouldn't be able to admit it to anyone.  
  
She brushed some stray hairs out of his face, wishing that he would talk or move or do something that would show her he wasn't dead yet. It was worse for her because she couldn't communicate with him at all, and was forced to wait until his chest stopped moving up and down and it became apparent that he had died.  
  
What a bitter end, and it WAS just like the bloody movies. One of the people in the movie always died leaving the other to suffer immense heartache and wallow in their pity until the end of time.  
  
Almost laughing through her flood of tears, Hermione stared down at the almost lifeless form of Draco Malfoy. He looked so peaceful, yet she knew that there was no way that he could be.  
  
Tears flooded down her cheeks and fell to the ground.  
  
"Why?" she asked him, knowing no answer was going to come. "Why did you come here? Was it for me, or did you want to get your father?" If he had come to save her, then he had wasted his bloody life. She continued sobbing but she tried to keep it silent, just in case that he could hear her. She didn't want to show a weakness now of all times.  
  
Tears. . .  
  
They flooded down her cheeks and mingled with sweat, blood, water and anything else that covered her hands and every other part of her body. She didn't want to be here, sprawled on the ground next to a dying Draco Malfoy. . .  
  
If only tears could heal everything that was wrong - wounds, both physical and mental. But it would never work and it was worthless.  
  
Tears that heal. . .  
  
Hermione sat up completely straight and she couldn't have been any more rigid. How could she have not thought of this? Tears that heal, tears that heal. . .  
  
PHOENIX TEARS.  
  
How could she have overlooked it? Why had she decided to be modest? Why couldn't she have been cocky like Draco and chosen the hardest animal to transform into? NOOOO, she had to be miss goody-two-shoes and be modest, which was now costing Draco his life.  
  
But perhaps she could still transform into a phoenix. It would definitely be dangerous, but just about anything was worth the risk right now, wasn't it? If she didn't do anything at all, then Draco would die, and Hermione would never be able to life with the guilt, knowing that she was responsible for his death.  
  
But if she died, then he would die two and the two remaining recipients of the gifts from the founders would be gone from the earth, and she remembered Dumbledore saying something about that shredding the very fabric of the universe. That couldn't be good, now, could it?  
  
Their gifts would be lost forever. . .  
  
It wasn't until now that it struck Hermione as odd that she hadn't died, but now wasn't the time to think of that, right? But something was nagging Hermione to think about if for a second.  
  
She had felt like something was pulling her back to life. . .  
  
Or someone. . .  
  
She hadn't died like she was supposed to, why was that?  
  
"Oh my god." Hermione whispered as the realization hit her with extreme force. It hit her with an extreme force that she was completely not ready for, and guilt hadn't yet kicked in, because shock was coursing through her.  
  
Their gifts had to have something to do with this, but wand less magic couldn't have brought her back to life, but what were Draco's gifts?  
  
Draco had used his one chance to walk into life to save her. He had given up 'temporary immortality' in order to save her life. She had to do it, it didn't matter if it killed her, and she now owed him her life.  
  
Hermione closed her eyes and thought for a desperate moment, trying to think of something and virtually anything else that she could do to help herself and Draco. Something less dangerous, something that didn't have the potential to kill her and everyone else in the area, but nothing came to her mind.  
  
She took a deep breath - a breath that could be her last - and steadied her thoughts, willing herself not to be nervous or afraid. She was going to do it, even if it killed her. She was in a lifetime of debt.  
  
Hermione closed her eyes again and sat down, trying to steady her entire soul. She was trying to think of how she was going to do this. Transforming into a golden fox was hard enough, and she had only done that a handful of times. She knew how to do it in theory written in books and how to do is in a practical setting, but this was quite a different story.  
  
And she had already chosen the fox. How was she going to change it now? There really was no way. Except. . . something that she had read now seemed to be ringing in her ears, not leaving until she addressed what it was telling her.  
  
Any kind of magic is inferior compared to the magic of human sacrifice and love.  
  
Human sacrifice. Love. Human sacrifice AND love. Well, it would certainly be human sacrifice, but did she love Draco Malfoy? The single person who had made her first four years at Hogwarts somewhere below un- enjoyable? Did she love him? Perhaps? Maybe? Yes?  
  
Hermione sighed, knowing that there would never be anything she could do about the way she felt for Draco Malfoy, and hoped against all hope that he would never find out.  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut and took a breath, imagining herself changing into a phoenix. This would be her last transformation, she had to make it grand, and beautiful, and maybe something that someone would learn about later.  
  
Concentrate on the task at hand. Visualize every possible problem and find solutions. Allow the transformation to take over your mind, body and soul, allowing you to become that of which you wish to turn.  
  
"Please don't die, Draco." Hermione whispered, and she fully expected these to be her last words. She needed to say something more. She needed to tell him something, perhaps give him a message? But there was no time and she needed to do it - it was now or never.  
  
She let her arms hang at her sides and she stared at the ceiling, allowing her mind to think it was a phoenix.  
  
Be the animal. . .  
  
Yet it was so much easier to visualize than to do. She sat there, forcing her mind to believe she was a phoenix, but nothing was happening. Her mind felt strained and her head was beginning to throb, but nothing that she wanted to happen was actually happening, which was rather annoying.  
  
The transformation began, her hair shortening, her arms changing shape, her skin turning shades of orange and red and yellow - the fiery plumage that was one of a phoenix.  
  
Be the phoenix. . .  
  
Finally, she could tell that it was beginning, it wasn't a strong feeling and she knew it wasn't happening very well, but it was happening.  
  
It was a painfully slow process. Her entire body felt like it was on fire, just about ready to explode into a million, flaming pieces and she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to finish and she would pass out in pain.  
  
No. She couldn't. She had to stay here, she had to stay conscious. She had to save Draco Malfoy before she died. She just had to, no matter how much pain she had to go through in order to do it.  
  
Don't let the pain get to you. Pain is a part of life, a part of love.  
  
Her arms slowly turned to wings and her nose flattened into her face. Her mouth turned to a beak, and her eyes became full of fire and determination. Feathers began to appear and she began to shrink.  
  
Do the job at hand. . .  
  
Hermione allowed herself to turn to a phoenix, completely changing her body. She was in so much pain that she couldn't believe it. She could barely breathe and her mind was fraying. Her memories were slipping away and her thoughts were incredibly painful.  
  
Save the boy. . . Save Draco Malfoy. . .  
  
With all of the strength she could muster she forced her phoenix-like self to walk over to Draco and bend over his wound. Blood had seeped out so fast that it appeared there was none left to bleed and there was no more coming out of it.  
  
Hermione closed her eyes and thought of everything that her leaking mind would allow. Her father, dead; her mother, about to be without any family left; Draco, dying; Harry and Ron abandoning her; everything that could possibly go wrong when she were dead.  
  
Draco could handle it. He was powerful enough. She knew it.  
  
She opened her phoenix eyes and stared down at Draco's wound, pearly- white iridescent tears beginning to form in her eyes, now sliding down her bird like cheeks. A few more seconds and they would land on the wound, they would heal him, he would be alive again.  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut and forced the tears down. She opened her eyes again and was able to watch as the wound closed in on itself and the skin appeared to have had no scratch at all.  
  
She stayed completely conscious for another five or ten seconds before she didn't remember anything.  
  
She could feel her lips moving and she was obviously saying something, but she had no idea what it was and before she had a chance to try to figure out what she was saying, her head his something rather hard and the world turned black.  
  
~+~  
  
Noise. She could hear noise. Someone was walking louder than a thousand leer jets and she wished they would stop. As long as she was dead she might as well have been able to enjoy it.  
  
Her eyes fluttered open and she found herself looking into the face of Draco Malfoy. Oh god, was he dead too? Had she failed?  
  
He looked empty of emotion, his face and eyes showed nothing, and Hermione was having a hard time trying to put rational thoughts together into workable sentences and understandable phrases.  
  
Before Hermione realized it, her hand was at his chest, where the wound should have been, but there was absolutely nothing in the place, just smooth skin, and then she realized where her hand was and her face began to burn. She pulled her hand back and starred at her knees.  
  
Draco kneeled down next to her and forced her to look at him. She reluctantly looked up from her knees and into his eyes, which she was finding disturbing at the moment.  
  
"Is it true?" he asked, and Hermione stared at him, her mind completely blank and she felt more confused than she had ever felt in her life. What on the bloody planet earth was he talking about?  
  
Hermione gave him a look, one that said, "WHAT?"  
  
"Is - Is what true?" Hermione asked, hoping there wasn't something that she should have known.  
  
"What you said, before you passed out." Draco said as though this were the most obvious thing in the world, and it really wasn't that obvious, because Hermione was completely lost.  
  
What did I say? I don't remember saying anything. To be frank, I really don't remember that much.  
  
"Well, I-I don't remember what I said. . .exactly. . ." Hermione said, and Draco's face appeared to fall, but barely, and she was left to try to figure whether she had imagined it or not.  
  
"Never mind then." He said, quickly dismissing it and getting up. Hermione drug him back down, and she was a little hurt by the way he looked like he was trying to avoid meeting her gaze.  
  
"What did I say?" she asks again, and he closes his eyes, and she isn't sure whether he is trying to remember what she said or if he is trying to hide from her.  
  
"You said you - you said you loved me." Draco said eventually and Hermione found that her mind jammed up again. She said, WHAT? WHATWHATWHAT?  
  
Hermione is forced to stare at Draco as she tries to comprehend the words that came from his mouth. Maybe he heard wrong, after all, he was just beginning to recover and he wouldn't have heard everything right, naturally of course. It was all a big mistake and it would blow over soon.  
  
"Just thought you should know what you said." Draco says lamely and he stands up again. He looks around the room for a minute and then kicks a spot on the wall. The bookshelves begin moving and he motions for her to come out.  
  
Hermione somehow manages to pick herself up and they are both out. Someone is talking in the background and she isn't paying him or her any attention whatsoever. All of her attention is focused on one individual.  
  
Draco was a hard person to gauge and she had no idea what he was thinking, which bothered her a little bit. All right, it bothered her a lot.  
  
Both of them are standing rather close, the bookshelf is halfway turned and they are stuck in the same space. Hermione is looking at Malfoy, her mind turning over on itself. Words began to spring from her mouth before she can stop them.  
  
"It's true." She says, and Draco raises an eyebrow.  
  
"And that would be?"  
  
"What you said I said. I don't remember it, but it's true. All of it. Every single word." Hermione wants to slap a hand to her mouth and erase what she just said but that is impossible, and she decides to look away from Draco, not wanting to see his trademark smirk and insufferable attitude.  
  
Much to her surprise, he doesn't answer, and she sits there, wondering exactly what it is he is thinking too.  
  
"Look, I just wanted-"  
  
"I want to tell you-"  
  
The both said at the same time and they both make the same arm gesture, telling the other to go first.  
  
"I just wanted to say, I, uh, I know that you used that Slytherin gift thing to save me, and I wanted to - you know - thank you." Hermione can feel the flush returning to her cheeks and she hopes that he doesn't notice.  
  
The wall shifts and they are closer together now. She hasn't been this close to him since. . . well, in a while anyway.  
  
"I could say the same for you." He says, and Hermione shakes her head.  
  
"No, it was. . . I had to. . .I mean. . ." Hermione trails off, fully aware of how stupid and lame this sounds, even to her. She looks at the wall wistfully, waiting for it to open up and let them OUT.  
  
Draco touches her chin and Hermione feels something like an electric shock run down her spine at his touch. She is forced to watch him, to look into his eyes.  
  
It seems that they stare at each other for an eternity (probably only a few seconds) and then they both move, the few inches between them close.  
  
Hermione gave up trying to use logic long ago and she simply lets the pleasure of kissing fill her mind and body.  
  
It isn't a make out kiss, her hands aren't in his hair, his hands aren't moving. Her hands are on his cheeks, pulling him closer and his hands are on her waist, bringing her closer still.  
  
Kissing Draco Malfoy wasn't like kissing anyone else, Hermione knew that right away, and she completely forgot where she was. In fact, neither of them noticed when they were in the library, and a few students had arrived back from their exchange trip. In fact, some of them were going to the library.  
  
Chattering loudly they turn the corner of the bookcase.  
  
"Oh my god." Hermione and Draco spring apart and find themselves staring into the faces of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson.  
  
~+~  
  
dun, dun, dun. It is getting near the end of the story, sad, I know, but fun, isn't it? 


	31. Our Shocked Friends

M.J. Kobayashi - Torture? Hmm, I'll have to look into that. . . j/k. Yes, if you smell trouble, then you have a brain!  
  
Crystal369 - Alright, as long as you laughed. . . You're sad that it has to end? At least that means I'm doing something right.  
  
Blueamber - Wow, you seemed to be excited. Here's more, yay, yay, yay!  
  
Lauren - Hey, its alright, I understand. People read many many fics every day and they get muddled up into one. What is it with my writing making people want to cry? I hope it's not because they are crying for the sheer, uh, badness of it. (Sorry, its really early here, my words don't make sense.)  
  
Purpleballerynna - You echo them, lol. Thanks, hope you love this chapter too.  
  
ILUVRONWEASLEY - Wow, such powerful words to describe it, thank you very much.  
  
Ickle Ronnikins Girlie!!! - Oh my, a review in all capital letters? Does that mean you're excited? Thanks for the compliments and enjoy this chapter.  
  
Willowfairy - Just a jaw drop? Like a really big jaw drop?  
  
Vu - Yes, I am insane. Oh, *ahem* you meant the writing. . . You don't have to wait any longer! Yes!  
  
The SimonCowel of Fanfiction - You're in love with the fic? I'd offer to let you marry it but there may be legal complications.  
  
Cherryplum11 - Lol, glad you made it online too. Thank you very much, I tried to make the Draco/ Hermione thing realistic, and my friend was on my back practically wanting to type for me and saying that they should have been in love already. Lol. I'm one of the best fanfiction writers? Thanks!!!  
  
Lynseyax Heparedds - Ohh, Jade, be nice! Thanks for the review, but I don't think Lynseyax wants to bee too badly hurt, alright? Sheesh, that must have been one BIG pocket.  
  
Mandarinn orange - That is exactly why I use cliffies! It brings the people back. If I didn't have cliffies, I wouldn't be able to know if someone was coming back or not. *sniff* I'm glad people DO come back though.  
  
Chrissy - Thank you, and that was exactly what I was going for. I hate stories where they are 'perfect' people and they just have a change of heart overnight. It is unrealistic and over used.  
  
SoshilaDove - Lol, yes, I did stop right at the kiss scene, didn't I? Oh well, here's more for you.  
  
Quello Bello - Yes, cliffies are my true love... Please, don't go insane, that would be rather bad.  
  
Rhiannon40 - Don't worry, I do plan to continue.  
  
Love-princess1 - You like the word love huh? It's in you s/n, you review. I LOVE that YOU LOVE my story!!!  
  
Rotae - Lol, yes, I'm sure that we do think alike. Ohh, you're evil! Me too! Me too!!! No more waiting for the next chapter, it's here.  
  
Freakyfairy - Don't worry, there are probably three more chapters before the end. MAYBE. I don't know, I'm just going with it right now.  
  
CrazzieAddict06 - Yay, you're back! And thank you for the applause. I love to get applause! Applause make me feel happy. Alright, that word doesn't look right, now that I've typed it a few times...  
  
Darkmoon of Shadows - Again, wow, such a nice and long review. Thank you very much, it made me feel good. I love writing, so I don't think I'll be giving it up for quite a while now.  
  
Artemis MoonClaw - I don't know, what will they make of it?  
  
Beena-Pani - LOL, how did you lose the ability to make long reviews? And it's alright, the fact that you reviewed is a compliment.  
  
Truluv438 - I really don't think I'm as good as J.K. Rowling, I wish I was.  
  
Alamathea - NO! *grasps chest* You hate me? LOL, it's alright if you can't critique the story, I have many others that do, and thank you for reviewing.  
  
Tayz - Eight 'so's. That is a record I think. Draco's your favorite character, huh? I wonder why. . .  
  
Zarah with a Z - Even I was impressed that I wrote thirty chapters in like two months. I was hard-pressed to find time in between everything else I was doing, and I am happy I did it! Dead-pan instant romance was not something I was willing to write with Draco and Hermione.  
  
~*iNfLueNZa*~ - Yeah, It was rather late when I was writing that and I didn't realize that it was in present tense. SORRY!  
  
Dreaming One - Well, the friends thing, where is Hermione (and Draco recently) always at? The library! And wouldn't you stare too if two enemies were kissing? I hope you enjoyed the last chapter.  
  
~chocopups~ - No, don't cry, PLEASE don't cry. Too many people have been doing that. No. More.  
  
Naoko Ten'ou - You can sense that there will be a good ending? Well, I hope it is then, but this isn't the end yet, so you can still have your sense of a good ending, and read more. (Did any of that make sense?)  
  
Katie - I've kept you totally engrossed? Wow, thanks very much! There are still loose ends, yes, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter.  
  
---  
  
Alright, so I have a new AOL screen name if you want to talk to me:  
  
Talk2saquoia  
  
Yes, kinda stupid but it was all I could find that was open!!!  
  
Sorry this chapter took so long, I have been really busy, and I hope this satisfies your needs!  
  
---  
  
Chapter 29  
  
"Oh my god."  
  
At these words, Hermione was jolted rather violently back to current time and she realized just how guilty she and Draco must have looked.  
  
The first thing that ran through her mind, however, was the fact that they had, inadvertently, ruined the most perfect kiss that she would have ever had in her life and there would never again be a kiss that could match the importance of this single one.  
  
It WASN'T ending up like the movies did anymore. Out of everything that they had gone through, in everything that had happened, of all the parts to no end like movies, it had to be the best part.  
  
The six in front of them seemed to find their voices after a labored pause and to an outsider, it would been rather comical. Everyone spoke at once, creating an odd, resounding noise, but it was easy to pick out each individual's words.  
  
"Drakie?" Pansy said tearfully.  
  
"Hermione?" Harry said in a shaky voice and Ron, as you could tell by his facial expression, was completely beyond being able to express what he was thinking and feeling in mere words.  
  
Even his facial expression was beyond the "fish-out-of-water" expression, and more along the lines of "fish-sailing-over-New-York" status, if not the "oh-my-freakin'-god" status.  
  
"Granger?" Goyle managed to say in his troll-ish voice, and he didn't sound shocked, more remotely surprised that he had seen something and understood what he was seeing as well.  
  
"Huh?" Crabbe said. Or really, he didn't SAY it, but it is the closest we can expect from our dear Vincent Crabbe. It appeared that his brain was unable to function at all when it was during the school year.  
  
"H-hermione?" Ginny choked out, staring incredulously at the two of them. Hermione could feel the amount of shock that was building up in the room and she knew that nobody WANTED to believe what they had just seen.  
  
It was FAR too late to claim that something else had happened. They had all SEEN the two of them, they had probably seen more than just the brief second between their entrance and 'oh-my-god'. It had probably taken them a few minutes to render themselves able to talk, and now there was no way to deny it.  
  
They had seen the kiss and that was that.  
  
It soon became apparent that everyone's eyes were sweeping up the pair of them, trying to grasp some of the concept, but they were failing, and as they looked at the pair of them, it became obvious that they were having a hard time understanding what else they were seeing.  
  
Draco's shirt and robes were covered in blood, his hair was completely matted and sticking to his head in an unflattering way, there was a large, gaping hole where the knife had sliced clearly through his clothes and, Hermione remembered with a cringe, his skin.  
  
If they had looked to her for some shred of sanity, they were sadly mistaken because she didn't look presentable, in fact, Hermione looked no better off that Draco did himself. She had suffered through no less than he had.  
  
Her hair was completely burnt off at the ends, leaving a black singe mark around her head, ashes were covering random places on her face and arms, blood covered her robes and her neck still had a slash mark where the knife had cut through her skin and killed her (Hermione still couldn't quite grasp the concept that she had died) and her robes were torn in the places where men had grabbed her and tried to restrain her.  
  
"Hey. . . guys . . ." Hermione managed to say, very pitifully and pathetically even. She needed to distract them and get their minds off of what they were seeing.  
  
"How - how was the trip?"  
  
Nobody answered. In fact, nobody breathed and it appeared as though every one of the six people in front of Hermione and Draco were trying to wash the memories out of their minds and believe that they had not seen what they just had.  
  
There really wasn't any room for someone to blame them either. All of them had thought they really knew the two in front of them, and then they had just watched them do the most uncharacteristic act of all time, reducing the six of them to gaping morons.  
  
As she watched them, Hermione already knew what each of them would do that night.  
  
Harry would put the memory into a penseive, trying to find either something that would prove it was fake, or just to get the memory out of his head. He would try again and again to find some shred of logic within the illogical and improbable happenings, but he would come out fruitless and decide to blame it on hormones.  
  
Ron would sit on his bed and stare at the wall until he fell asleep, muttering random curses under his breath. It would take quite a while for the truth to actually set into his mind and even longer for him to overcome the intense denial it was sure to bring.  
  
Ginny would go and tell every person that she came across that she had seen something utterly 'unbelievable' and she needed time to think about it before she was willing to talk to anyone anymore. She would then meditate, a muggle habit she had picked up on, and try to make sense of things.  
  
As for the Slytherins, they were quite different.  
  
Crabbe, as well as Goyle, would puzzle stupidly over what had happened until someone told them what to think and then they would stick with that. It would most likely be Draco, who told them he didn't care for Hermione in the slightest and say that he had won a bet and that would be the end of their questions.  
  
Pansy would protest and argue with Draco over and over and over again until he admitted that he liked her far better than a pathetic mudblood and say that she was the only one for him and he would be forced to apologize to her and publicly humiliate Hermione in front of the school.  
  
Hermione found it ironic that she knew how each of them were going to act, but they had no idea what she would have done in the same situation. In fact, she really wasn't sure what she would do in any situation anymore. She had changed.  
  
As for her, she didn't know what SHE was going to do; all she knew was that she needed to get out of the situation. Now.  
  
"Well, I have to get to class." Hermione said vaguely, gesturing to her clothes and invisible book bag. "Talk to you guys later, alright?" with that she turned and walked about three steps before a commanding voice stopped her in her tracks.  
  
"Hermione." Someone said and Hermione didn't dare move. Never before in her life had she heard Harry use that kind of tone with her, no matter what. Even if they weren't friends anymore, she would have never expected him to use the harsh, cold tones that he used now. The three syllables sent a chill down her spine and she didn't want to turn to face him and see his disappointment in her for being with his enemy.  
  
Hold on just a minute now.  
  
Why was she afraid to see HIS disappointment? Moreover, his disappointment in HER? Had he ever been afraid to see HER disappointment when he ignored her or called her names? No. Had he ever tried to steer clear of hurtful actions? No. When had he proved that he cared enough about her to still talk to her even when they were friends? Never. Never ever, ever.  
  
By the time Hermione had turned around, she was seething with anger and she didn't want to give him a chance to talk, she didn't want to have to listen to what he was going to say to her, but she supposed she was going to have to because his mouth was already open, words were already leaving his mouth and forming in the air in front of him. The words slowly met Hermione's ears.  
  
"I don't know how you can do this to me-" Hermione didn't bother to let him finish what he was saying. She simply didn't want to hear it. She didn't even want to THINK it. She couldn't breathe at all, the anger had caught in her chest and she was going blind with anger and rage. How dare he? Did he think he owned the world, all because he was Harry Potter?  
  
"To you?" she said. "TO YOU?" she shrieked at him, anger bubbling and frothing madly inside of her like a pot of water boiling over too high. How did he get off with saying 'how did you do this to me' and nobody else had noticed that it was rude? How did he let himself get off with it?  
  
"What do you MEAN to YOU? None of this has to DO with*YOU*." She said, her words very loud, especially for the library. She had caught the attention of anyone that was on the same floor as the library was, but she didn't really care at that point. She just wanted to get her point across to Harry.  
  
"None of this will EVER have to do with YOU. You know why?" she asked the question as though she were dealing with a young child. Her words were full of malice and sugar-coated anger. "Do you know why, Harry?" she didn't wait for his answer, she just let the anger flow.  
  
"BECAUSE YOU STOPPED BEING A PART OF MY LIFE WHEN YOU TURNED FROM ME AND TOLD ME THAT GIRLFRIENDS WERE MORE IMPORTANT THAN I WAS." Hermione allowed herself to breathe now, enjoying the reaction she was getting from Harry. He seemed shocked that her voice was raised at him, or maybe that was his neutral expression now.  
  
"It's-" Ron tried to say, but Hermione cut him off too.  
  
"NO. Stay out of it, Weasley." Hermione snapped, not realizing until much later that she hadn't even used his name, and called him by his last name.  
  
Ron mouthed like a fish by stayed silent. This, however, seemed to upset Ginny more than Hermione had ever seen her upset before.  
  
"HERMIONE!" she exploded. "HOW could you treat your friend like that?" she asked, the very way she screamed told her that she was completely appalled that she would even think of speaking to her brother like that. To be completely honest, there were no words to describe what Hermione was feeling.  
  
The rage and anger were surging through her mind, body and soul, all she felt like she wanted to do was strangle everyone she could get her hands on, and she was almost certain that her face was growing redder and redder with compressed anger as the seconds went by. Her hands were shaking and she was trying to make them still.  
  
"Now that you're done-" Harry began to say, but his words simply set Hermione off again. She was NOT done.  
  
"I am most certainly NOT DONE." She screamed at him. "AND, don't you EVER make assumptions about what I am anymore." She said in a deathly dangerous voice.  
  
Everything was annoying and infuriating her, but the thing that was bothering her most was the fact that Draco was completely silent in this entire exchange. She hadn't even HEARD him attempt to talk, let alone try to explain anything.  
  
In fact, she took a few seconds to herself, turned around to say something to her, and she had turned around just in time to see his robes swish around the corner. He had just left her.  
  
She turned back and Harry said something spiteful to her, and she lost it completely. Her barrier of self control broke the second that she had seen Draco had walked away, leaving her to deal with her friends, or ex-friends anyway. This was the beginning of a rather loud fight between Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.  
  
~+~  
  
Eventually the fight died. The words became less harsh, the voices lowered, and the glares subsided, leaving seven stricken people, all tired from yelling and screaming, and everyone was casting wary glances at Hermione, who was casting wary glances at every one of them in turn.  
  
Nobody spoke, it was as though they had all planned to become silent at the same time. No one was really sure whether their opinions and feelings had been understood, Hermione didn't know whether she had been able to explain to them why she had kissed Draco, she wasn't even sure whether she had been able to explain it to herself, but it was beside the point.  
  
They needed to understand that it was her bloody life and they had no say in it, whatsoever. They never did and they never would.  
  
"Does, does Drakie still love me?" Pansy finally managed to choke out, and Hermione barely caught herself from rolling her eyes.  
  
"I don't know." She said, clearly accenting every syllable. How the heck was she supposed to know? She had thought he liked her, because he had kissed her, but then he had left her to defend herself in front of six, ravenous people, that were ready to tear her from limb to limb.  
  
Pansy whimpered and buried her head in Goyle's chest, and Goyle didn't even appear to be able to acknowledge the fact that there was a girl, sobbing into his chest. It was as though he didn't SEE her.  
  
"Hermione," Ginny said finally. "Why did you kiss Draco Malfoy?" she asked, and Hermione hated the way she was talking to her. It made it sound as though Hermione were three years old or incredibly slow.  
  
"Ginny," Hermione said in the same tone. "Do I look like I know that?" she asked, her voice the same silky, annoying tenderness as Ginny's had been.  
  
"Hermione, I'll never understand you."  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione sat, curled up on her bed, staring out the window when someone entered the room, and she stiffened. She didn't think she could talk to anyone at the moment, seeing as the memory of what had happened only a few hours ago was still being burnt into her skull. She could almost see their looks of disappointment and confusion when she closed her eyes, as though the image had become fused to her inner eyelids.  
  
Pansy had declared that she needed to think about things and left in tears, muttering things about worthless Mudbloods and purebloods that weren't any better, Crabbe and Goyle had been their usual, dumb selves, seeming to not have understood anything that had happened besides the kiss that they had seen, it was as though words were unable to penetrate their skulls.  
  
Her fellow Gryffindors had been no better off.  
  
Ron had been unable to look her in the eye after what she had said about girlfriends meaning more than she did, it was as though he were ashamed of what she said being true, or that he had been afraid he would look into Hermione's eyes and the devil would be looking back out at him, which hurt Hermione's feelings rather hard. After all, even if they weren't friends now, they had been, and she would have hoped that he would have at least looked at her, but he didn't, not even once.  
  
Ginny had been to shocked to speak after Hermione had tried to explain things to her, it was as though she were trying to silently say that anything she spoke aloud would either come out wrong or rude. That or she was just counting on Hermione 'coming to her senses' and she would realize what she had done wrong and everything would become perfect as she had always thought it was.  
  
The worst reaction had been Harry's though. Harry had been beyond any emotion that Hermione recognized as something that she could precisely pinpoint. It was as though he was embarrassed that she had kissed his enemy, yet he was angry at her for being 'so childish and immature' as he had eloquently put it. It hit her hard to learn that he thought he was an influential figure in her life and he was revaluating what he had done as though he had done something wrong to drive her to act the way she did.  
  
Her thoughts ended abruptly and she flinched as she felt the air from the door waft toward her and she heard the door close. She knew who it was, and he was the last person that she wanted to talk to.  
  
In fact, she WOULDN'T talk to him, she was going to ignore him and show him the same respect that he had shown her by leaving. If he didn't think she was important enough to help, then she wasn't going to accept him as important enough to have her respect.  
  
"'Mione?" the voice said tentively, and she didn't turn or make any movement that would suggest she had heard him speak at all. He sighed and walked around her bed and came to a stop in front of her.  
  
"Mione?" he said again, his voice a little stronger this time, but still tentive, as though he were afraid that she was going to lash out. And why shouldn't she?  
  
"Hermione." She corrected rudely, and she turned her head so that she wouldn't have to look at him - not directly at least.  
  
"Hermione," Draco said, immediately agreeing with her rude request. Apparently he found that if he agreed, it would be easier for him in the long run, and it surprised even Hermione with how quickly he agreed to her snappish request.  
  
"What?" she asked, again her voice being rather rude, and it even sounded harsh? She wasn't sure why she was feeling like she was, but for some reason she found that she wanted to be as rude as she possibly could toward him.  
  
"Sorry." He said, and it took her mind about ten seconds to process what he had just said. DID he say what she thought he had just said? Was it really true that Draco Malfoy had just said he was sorry?  
  
Hermione told her mouth to form the words, 'It's okay'. That was all she wanted to say, and she had images of them hugging, maybe even kissing, but the words were lost somewhere in the transaction, and the words she was planning didn't come close to her mouth.  
  
"You should be." She said, and she longed to clasp a hand to her mouth and whack herself in the head with the other. Why on earth should he have been sorry? He hadn't done anything wrong - well, except for leave her alone with six people - why was she acting so hostile? Why?  
  
"I should?" Draco echoed, sounding slightly amused, and she wanted to laugh, to make the situation light, but she found that words were escaping her lips before she could stop them, and it was rather annoying.  
  
"Yes, you should." She said feverently and Draco raised an eyebrow. (It wasn't that she WANTED to see his face, but her head kept turning slowly toward him of its own free will.)  
  
"Why?" he asked, and Hermione was silent.  
  
After a few minutes, she turned to look at Draco, and burst out laughing. There was no reason, other than the fact that she hadn't laughed, truly, for a long time, and it just felt good to be laughing.  
  
~+~  
  
Somehow, Hermione ended up lying on Draco's chest, and she was slowly drifting off to sleep. He was saying something, she didn't quite know what. All she knew was that she wanted this moment to last forever.  
  
-  
  
A/N: Alright, yes, fluffy chapter ending. Hahaha.  
  
Next chapter more things are addressed. Sorry it took so long!  
  
Read and Review! (Actually, it's just review, because by the time you're here, you've already read...)  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	32. Her Father's Letter

I don't have time to answer your reviews separately!  
  
I am SO, SO, SO, SO, SO sorry about that. I promise that I will next time. I absolutely swear.  
  
Thank you Quello Bello, Vu, Lauren, ~The Simon Cowell of Fanfiction.net~, willowfairy, cherryplum11, Ickle Ronnikins Girlie!!, Iluvharrypotter3927, mandarinn orange, Lynseyax Heparedds, blueamber, Darkmoon of Shadows, Crazzieaddict06, M.J. Kobayashi, ILUVRONWEASLEY, Artemis MoonClaw, crystal369, BellaWilde, Angel of Flames, Princess-Potter, and ShadowRogue.  
  
---  
  
Chapter 30 -  
  
Hermione woke up, and her pillow was breathing.  
  
No, wait, that wasn't her pillow. That was Draco's chest. Ah, now she remembered. She had fallen asleep on his chest. That made more sense, after all, pillows don't breathe.  
  
Hermione sighed. She didn't want to get up. She didn't want to go to classes today. She didn't want to have to face people. She just wanted to stay here, staring at the ceiling. It was safer here, she didn't have to worry about what people were going to be saying about her.  
  
But she knew that she had to get up. There was really no way around it. She would have to face then sooner or later, so she might as well do it now.  
  
She sat up and went to her trunk, choosing her clothes without much care. They did, after all, all look exactly the same.  
  
While she put her clothes on, her thoughts drifted to Draco Malfoy, who was still asleep on the floor, but she no longer felt the compulsory need to shoo the memories and thoughts away. She had finally admitted to herself that she was in love with Draco Malfoy, and she didn't feel guilty anymore.  
  
It was like a curtain had been lifted when she realized that she had died, and she had suddenly been hit with the realization that it really didn't matter who was in what house or what family they were from, because she could die the next day, and she wanted to die happily, if she had to die.  
  
Hermione took one last look at Draco's sleeping form before she opened the door of the dormitory and walked down to the common room and out the portrait entrance. She was going to be in for a long day.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione was really wishing that she had stayed in the dormitory now. People were either skirting around her in the halls or calling her the rudest names she could have ever imagined being called, and then some. There was the usual chorus of mudblood and slut, but now, she was getting if from people everywhere, in every house and of every age.  
  
It was as though the fact that she had been caught in the same library as a Slytherin were enough for them to hate her, but the fact that she had been touching him, let alone kissing him, was another matter entirely.  
  
Girls who she ahd never even met before were glaring at her - either because they had wanted Draco for themselves or because they thought she was a terrible person now - and people she did know were refusing to recognize her.  
  
Hermione was rather put out. She hadn't really expected people to be happy, but she had expected them to be a little better to her. It wasn't like she had been caught with Lord Voldemort, trying to help him take over the world, yet people were treating her as though she were a villain no better than he.  
  
By the time lunch rolled around, Hermione wasn't even hungry. She decided to go to the one place where she had always gone to be alone before - the Library.  
  
Nobody was ever there during the lunch period, so she was certain that she would be alone. Besides, even if there were people there, they would probably flee at the thought of being in there with her, so she had nothing to worry aobut.  
  
She came in and sat down, feeling rather dejected She wished, for once, she would be a normal person. Not the stupid bookworm, not the mudblood, not the radical and annoying genius. Just a pureblood, normal intelligence, average looking girl. Was that too much for her to be asking? Apparently, seeing as she was not anywhere near what she wished she was.  
  
She had always believed her parents when they said she was beautiful, but as she got older, she realized that these were false illusions and that she was nowhere near beautiful. She just wished she was.  
  
It was something she had grown accustomed to, and she thought she was going to be fine, until she came to Hogwarts. It seemed that everyone had been using magic to change their slight problems. Smaller teeth here, straight hair there, and she was the only one that didn't alter her appearance to look better, which was her first mistake of many.  
  
Nobody really knew what mistakes Hermione Granger made, but there were many of them - countless errors and mishaps that she would never tell anyone.  
  
She had forgotten her classes, she had stayed up all night finishing homework she had forgotten, she had had crushes on people that would never come near her with a ten foot pole, but nothing had been as hard as the one error she had made. A rather large error.  
  
She had placed all of her trust and faith in her two friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. She had trusted that the three of them would always be friends, that they would never separate, that they would stick together through thick and thin and would always be there to help each other, but they had broken apart so suddenly that she was left to wonder what had really happened, and she would never truly know.  
  
One minute they were laughing during the train ride home, the next they were as far apart as Black and White.  
  
Hermione sighed again as she thought of how many times they had promised they would never split, and here she was, all alone.  
  
Her thoughts slowly drifted to her father and she reached into her pocket without realizing that she had until she felt the paper with her fingers, numbly she took it out of her pocket and set it on the table in front of her.  
  
Should she open it?  
  
She really didn't know what she should do, she no longer trusted her judgment on things like this anymore. She didn't know what to think or who to turn to anymore, and she simply ignored everything that could stand to be ignored.  
  
But she had ignored this for so long. Every day she transferred the letter to her pocket of her robes, every day she promised herself that she would read it and every day, without fail, she would go to sleep, not opening the letter.  
  
She had to. Something inside of her told her that now was the time.  
  
Now or never.  
  
With trembling hands, she tore at the envelope. It shook so much in her hands that she could hear the paper violently rattling and she could even see it, despite the mistyness that was forming in her eyes, she could see everything, it was just blurry.  
  
She finally made it to the letter part, after four, agonizing minutes of trying to remove the envelope intact. She suspected that she was doing that to waste time more than preserve the envelope. She knew herself too well to think otherwise.  
  
She stared at the now folded letter in her hand.  
  
Now or never.  
  
She slowly unfurled it, and she heard a chink of metal against wood, but didn't look down. The sound didn't even register in her mind for a few minutes. Her eyes were on the paper, staring but not reading. Viewing but not understanding.  
  
Did she want to read it? Could she read it? Did she really have the courage to read it, after it had been so long?  
  
Now or never.  
  
The words echoed in her mind, she didn't really know what to think of them anymore.  
  
Did she trust herself?  
  
Yes.  
  
She finished unfolding the letter and admired the stationary first. She was going to make this moment last as long as she possibly could. She needed to make sure that she would remember this forever.  
  
Her last memory of her father.  
  
Did reading this letter mean that she was willing to let her father go and admit that she was dead? With this simple step was she really saying that she was letting his memory slip away and she was going to move on with her life, never to look back and remember? Was she giving up a happy past for an uncertain future?  
  
Tears seeped out her eyes, and she hadn't even started reading. She wasn't sure that she wanted to, if reading the letter meant that she would have to let the memories of her father, the only man she had ever known and trusted fully, go into a nothingness and oblivion.  
  
No.  
  
Those were her memories.  
  
Nothing would ever be able to take them away. They would have to pry them away from her over her dead body. She was going to read this letter and she was going to keep her memories of her father.  
  
Both of them would be hers, locked away in her heart forever.  
  
Hermione took a deep breath, steadied her mind, and turned her eyes to the letter in her hand.  
  
She had waited so long, and now she was going to read it.  
  
Her father's last words.  
  
---  
  
Hermione,  
  
I must tell you about an extraordinary young woman that I know, she constantly was there to show me what I never knew, and things I never could have dreamed of wondering.  
  
I have had the biggest joy a father - or any man - could ever have hoped to witness.  
  
I have watched a simple baby girl blossom into a most beautiful young lady my eyes could ever hope to see in this lifetime or a next. The tiny baby has grown and changed herself, and me, as I know she will one day change the world.  
  
She has proved me wrong on many accounts, shown me joys I never thought could exist and given true meaning to my life.  
  
Every day, that girl would come home, bubbling with excitement over what she had learned that day, whether it had to do with math, reading, writing or some obscure subject I had never heard of.  
  
By the time she was eleven, I knew that she was different than most girls, and proof of that came when she was offered an experience that every child had dreamt of since they were two or three.  
  
Every child had longed for this, ever since they could walk, or talk or breathe. They had wanted to be special and different.  
  
She went away to a special school, only coming home every summer to be with her family again, and her family couldn't have been any more proud of her. She would come bearing the strangest gifts and the highest marks, and her father's chest swelled with pride at every turn.  
  
She went away as a self-conscious eleven year old, shy and rather bossy, and came home completely changed.  
  
She spoke of wondrous things; things my mind would never be able to comprehend, yet I nodded anyway, smiling all the time.  
  
I was shocked to learn she had escaped death with her two friends, all three of them setting out to do the deeds of grown witches and wizards - defeating and passing tests that people twice their age would never have been able to achieve.  
  
That second year she returned, almost thrilled that she had been petrified, nearly died, and she came with another load of stories that I would never be able to understand, yet I listened as though I understood even half of what she said.  
  
Evil snakes and fifty year ago happenings, it would never cease to amaze me what she went through.  
  
Then the third year she came home, more stories. An escaped murderer, werewolves and vicious trees. Would the suprises and stories never stop? Never once did I doubt she would be able to take on the challenges that arose, for I knew of this young woman's capabilities.  
  
No longer a girl, but a flourishing lady, she set off for her fourth year at school. Again, returning with more stories, but they were no longer as detailed, her thoughts seemed far-away, and I knew that I was losing the connection I had with the girl, she was drifting away from me.  
  
I pretended to not care at all as I bid her farewell to her fifth year. I watched her leave and had to admit to myself that she was no longer a bubbly girl but a polished and sensational young woman. In two short years she would be out, facing the world on her own, and I didn't know how I would handle that.  
  
Would I? I didn't know, but I waved farewell as she left and I felt my heart grow heavy.  
  
She had grown and changed, and I had missed it. I had missed her first dance, I had missed her first kiss and I had missed her first look at a splendid new place, so far away from home.  
  
But was home really with me anymore? I didn't know, for she spent so much time with her friends and teachers at the school that it would almost seem that her home was where she went every year, and she vacationed to come visit me.  
  
I missed her, she left every year with a smile and promises, and every year I awaited them.  
  
I want those stories you promised me, Hermione.  
  
Remember? You promised me, the night before we took you to the station. You said, daddy, I promise I'll tell you everything that happens this year. I promise that I'll show you all of my friends, my grades, I'll share everything that ha[[ened with you. I promise, daddy, I promise.  
  
You owe me stories, Hermione.  
  
Of this year, and every year to come.  
  
I want to know when you have a real boyfriend.  
  
I will see when you graduate. All proud and full of honors that you obviously deserve.  
  
I want to be invited to your wedding day, even if I can't walk you down that aisle, I'll be there, right next to you.  
  
I will watch my grandchildren sleep as tiny babies, remembering when you were as old as they.  
  
I will be there when your children grow older too. They will have a grandpa, even if they can't see him or talk to him.  
  
I will be there when you need help, when you need someone to lean on, when you need a father.  
  
I will be there, every day, just as I promised you I would. I will always be there for you, my baby.  
  
'Mione.  
  
I love you, and don't you ever forget that.  
  
As long as you still need me, I'll be there.  
  
I can promise you that.  
  
Until then.  
  
---  
  
Wet, hot tears were leaking down Hermione's face as she finished the letter. She never wanted it to end. She didn't want to stop reading. She wanted her father. She wanted him now. She needed him now. She needed her father to be there for her.  
  
If she closed her eyes, she could almost remember running into his arms when she was seven, she could remember tackling him when she was eight and having a water fight when she was nine.  
  
All of those things, they seemed to trivial then, but now each one seemed to be elevated, each one had its own meaning. Every one was special in its own way and she never wanted to let any of them go.  
  
Ever.  
  
He had made a promise to her and she was going to hold him to it. No matter what anyone said, he was going to have to keep his promise.  
  
Forever.  
  
As long as the sun still rose every morning and the moon was out every night, she would make sure that he was there for her.  
  
Just like he had promised.  
  
"Until then, dad," Hermione said quietly, almost unaware of the tears that were leaking down her face and streaming across her chin and neck.  
  
"Until then."  
  
---  
  
A/N: Alright, who's crying?  
  
I have to admit, I was crying as I wrote that last page or two. Rather sad, if you know what I mean. I can't believe I wrote that. Ugh, and nothing's wrong with me either! I am happy as can be.  
  
Anyway, please read and review, I'd love to know what you think of what's happened here.  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	33. Headmaster?

AHH! I'm SO sorry, everyone, I'm not trying to make this into a habit, REALLY, I'm not, I've just had so much homework and adding answers to reviews would have made this delayed even longer!!  
  
Thanks to:  
  
articshewolf, pathos, angie5, alka, crazzieaddict06, willowfairy, mudpie, crystal369, aquilastor, Dreaming One, SnOgFeSt, truluv438, BellaWilde, Vu, DarkMoon of Shadows, Lynseyax Hepparedds, Artemis MoonClaw, Cupidas-arrow, freakyfairy, ILUVRONWEASLEY, clichet, Ickle Ronnikins Girlie!!!, blueamber, and ~*influenza*~.  
  
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEWS!!!  
  
On with the story. Nearing the end, don't ya know?  
  
~+~  
  
Mind reeling and blood thumping loudly through her veins, Hermione thought about what she had read and what she was gathering from the words, even if the sound of her blood was rather annoying, but her mind was no further from the sound of her blood than it had ever been before.  
  
Memories flooded into her mind, some wanted, others completely unwanted. She hadn't thought this much since - since - since - well, she didn't know when the last time she had thought this much had been, but it had been a rather long time ago.  
  
While the thoughts flooded, she wasn't entirely sure what she was thinking about. Perhaps if she thought about it for a minute, ah, yes.  
  
She was thinking about her father, his letter and the last piece of him that she would ever have. She had an unexplainable lump in her throat and she felt crazy, almost as thought she should be is St. Mungo's or something, because she wasn't normal anymore. She didn't feel or seem to act normal.  
  
She was something alright. Reeling and bloody insane. She had to be, it was all that would make sense in her harrowed world, for happiness and sadness seemed to be lumped together into one emotion.  
  
Hermione walked slowly up to her bed that night with a mixture of emotions welling up in her heart. She hadn't felt this confused since she had begun thinking that her emotions for Draco Malfoy were different from the fierce enmity she had sworn she felt.  
  
While her thoughts were quick, her pace seemed to say that if she walked slowly, her memories would be with her longer. It was almost as though she didn't want to make it to her dorm, where she would then be forced to sleep and leave the thoughts that blessed her when she was conscious.  
  
She didn't know exactly what had happened inside of her when she read the letter, she didn't know whether she would be fine tomorrow, or the next day, or even the next, she knew she was different today. She still wasn't sure what happened, but she knew that it had somehow helped her and she felt almost whole again.  
  
She would never be completely whole without her father, but she knew that now her mind and soul were at peace. She had some closure and she could trust her feelings again, a feeling that she had thought she had lost a long time ago. It felt good and right to be able to trust herself once more.  
  
Hermione stumbled blindly into her dormitory and she was so wrapped up in her thoughts and feelings that she didn't notice the other person that was in there. In fact, the only way that they caught her attention was when she felt herself being swept up in someone's arms.  
  
She was in a warm embrace - figuratively and literally - and she was enjoying it, not bothering to think, which was a luxury she was not accustomed to.  
  
Hermione's mind stumbled blindly for a few seconds before she realized just who it was that had caught her in their arms.  
  
A small smile crossed her lips and she let her body collapse onto them and she just relaxed. She couldn't have felt any better about herself and her life than she did now, a sense of closure was settling in on her body and soul, and she didn't think that it could have been a happier moment. She had read the letter, she was actually on the road to healing and she was in the arms of a guy.  
  
"Hey, Draco." She said quietly and she could almost feel his amusement, which was the way that she, as she realized later, had always been telling his emotions. Emotions weren't prominent features on his face, but if you know how and where to look you could tell how he was feeling.  
  
Her words seemed to hang in the air for a moment before he answered, and Hermione had almost turned to look and make sure that he was really there.  
  
"'Mione, where've ya been?" he asked in reply and Hermione didn't answer right away. She didn't know exactly how to answer his question, because it wasn't completely clear in her mind.  
  
What would she tell him? How would she tell him? She wasn't sure whether he would completely understand what had happened to her when she had read the letter, and she wasn't quite sure whether she was going to try to tell him.  
  
Not yet, anyway.  
  
She wasn't ready to share everything with him right now - not now, definitely not now, but perhaps later.  
  
She let herself absorb his warmness and scent, closing her eyes lightly to allow herself to soak up the moment. She would never forget this day, as long as she lived, and not only because of the letter. This was. . . it was. . .  
  
Okay, maybe because of the letter, but she still wouldn't forget it. Not until the day she died.  
  
Which, she realized, could have come a lot sooner than she had ever thought it should or would have come. Without Draco, whose arms were around her protectively, she would have been dead right now, at this very moment.  
  
This thought was enough to make her shiver. He had saved her life.  
  
Had one of them been facing the door, they would have noticed that it was open and that there was a professor standing there, eyes twinkling behind the spectacles and amusement shining through every feature.  
  
Long had he awaited this day, he had known it would happen, but he was somewhat unsure of when exactly.  
  
When Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger had come, and their instant dislike had erupted he had known that it would be the two of them that would fall in love.  
  
The old professor watched for a few more seconds with Draco's arms wrapped around Hermione before her interrupted them.  
  
He cleared his throat and their reaction was instant. Both of them whipped around and it almost seemed as though Draco had forgotten that his arms were around Hermione. Hermione had a look of utter and complete shock on her face and she looked like she, too, had forgotten about Draco's arms.  
  
"Professor!" it was impossible to tell who this exclamation had come from but it was apparent that it was a mutual feeling. Dumbledore hid his amusement.  
  
Hermione was indignant. How could he have just walked in to the dormitory?! What if someone had been changing or sleeping or. . . it took her a second to register what she was thinking, and in that brief moment she realized that there were a pair of arms around her.  
  
She was sure that she looked completely panicked and she ducked out of his arms, her eyes never leaving Dumbledore's face. There was something wrong with the way that he was looking at the two of them, almost as if. . .  
  
Well, almost as if he had known. And that was preposterous.  
  
The thunderstruck look on her face absolutely matched the thunderstruck one on Draco's face, which was rare because he never 'showed his emotions to the enemy', so it was obvious that he was taken by surprise.  
  
Hermione was beginning to feel aggrieved and annoyed by the look of amusement on Dumbledore's face. It was rude and very untactful. How could he stand there and not feel bad about himself in the slightest when it was apparent that the two teens in front of him were embarrassed and shocked?  
  
She felt invaded. Nobody was supposed to know. None of the teachers, anyway. It was impossible to keep students from knowing, but the Professors would have brushed it off as gossip. Now that was impossible.  
  
"P-professor," Hermione said, and the first thing that she noticed about her voice was the fact that she was stuttering. When was the last time that she had stuttered in front of a professor? Lockhart?  
  
"what are you doing here?" Hermione managed to choke out, still unable to mask her feeling of shock and discomfort. He had seen her with Draco, there was no way to cover it up and make it look like she hated him now.  
  
Her stomach turned over on itself when she thought of what it would be like to face a room full of teachers that knew about her and Draco. What would McGonagall think? What would Snape think?  
  
Ohhhh, Hermione's mind moaned. Oh no.  
  
"I need to talk to the two of you," Dumbledore said. "In my office." He added, and the way he said it made Hermione feel the blush beginning to creep up her cheeks. She hoped that nobody saw it. Ever.  
  
"Alright." Hermione said, and Dumbledore turned and walked out of the room. Hermione's eyes met Draco's for a minute and then the two of them turned and followed the Headmaster out the door.  
  
Hermione wondered, her mind slightly numb, just how long he had been standing there.  
  
~+~  
  
Dumbledore turned to face them once they were in his office (Hermione hadn't even been interested in examining the staircase that turned or the odd birds that chirped on their way to the office.) and gave them an appraising look.  
  
"Sit." He said and he gestured toward the chairs that were in the room. How ironic that now they were accustomed and accepting of each other that there were two chairs, but in the heat of their enmity there had been only a single chair for the two of them to share.  
  
They sat like obedient dogs and Dumbledore then took his seat behind his desk. He eyed the two of them for a little while, each of them squirming from his gaze and looking rather uncomfortable.  
  
It was painfully obvious that they wanted to leave his office as soon as they possibly could.  
  
"I think there are a few things that you would like properly explained - as would I." Dumbledore told them, and Hermione suppressed the feeling that she needed to glance in Draco's direction.  
  
"Alright, me first." Draco said instantly, and Hermione was debating whether to smile or hit him. Insufferable git. Still, even if she liked him, he was an insufferable git and he always would be.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked, and Hermione now longed to rid him of his amused expression and the twinkle in his eyes. It was bothering her. Why did he find such amusement out of these things, when it made her angry and annoyed?  
  
"Alright," Draco said, and he silently ticked things off on his fingers before he even began to speak. Hermione watched as it looked like he had thirty or forty things that he was planning on asking. Now, even to her, this was quite a lot of things to be asking the headmaster, or anyone for that matter.  
  
"So, Dumbledore," Draco said, his tone reflecting no respect for the man in front of him, whatsoever. Just like him too, he really wouldn't change, and she was lucky that she realized this now, because she wouldn't waste years of effort and time trying to change someone that was obviously unchangeable.  
  
Hermione sighed and turned her attention back to Draco, who was now interrogating Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
"Why-does-it-seem-like-you-knew-everything-was-going-to-happen-and- why-are-you-not-telling-us-everything-that-was-happening-and-why-did-you- assign-us-to-the-time-reversal-stuff-and-why-was-it-me-and-Herm-Grang-HER- that-had-to-do-it-and-why-did-we-end-up-in-the-same-dormitory-and-why-did-" Draco said, but Dumbledore held up a hand to stem his questions.  
  
"One at a time, Mr. Malfoy."  
  
Hermione threw Draco a warning glance and Draco wrinkled his nose in response. She eyed him for a moment, not liking the look that he had given her, and she almost snorted, but managed to hold it in.  
  
She was completely planning to turn back to Professor Dumbledore but her human instincts told her that she was not going to let him think he was better than her - no way, no how - because it was her turn. Her well deserved turn at that.  
  
Hermione threw her head slightly forward in an aggressive advance toward him, challenging him to an unknown battle. He responded to her gesture with one of his own, quite similar, but with an air of 'Malfoy greatness'.  
  
Her hands then joined into the exchange, her head movement staying almost the same but her hands spreading apart as well, challenging him to this battle of gestures head on. He responded with an even more violent movement than she had.  
  
Eventually he gave her a look that said, 'You know what you're doin'?' and to answer his question she put on a smug look and gestured with her hand in a gesture that clearly said, 'Bring it on.'  
  
Distantly, back on planet earth were people besides Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy existed, someone cleared their throat. It was then that she remembered that they were in the headmaster's office and that the headmaster of their school had been watching their entire gesture duel.  
  
Very quickly the two of them turned back to him, almost in complete unison, and sat, watching him, almost as though they were waiting for him to say something about what they had just done, but he completely ignored what had happened, or so it would have seemed.  
  
"Alright, questions, but one and a time and start from the beginning." He said, his amused look never leaving his face but just becoming slightly masked by the look of fake concentration.  
  
Draco began firing off questions that answered nothing that she needed to know, and she had a feeling that he was just asking questions to be annoying, because he was certainly annoying her, and she wasn't the one that had to pay enough attention to what he was saying to actually answer his questions.  
  
Not for the first time, Hermione wondered what she had been thinking and feeling when she had let herself kiss him. And let him hold her in his arms. At some points in her silent argument with herself, she would tell herself that he was really sweet once you got to know him and that he wasn't the person everyone had come to expect him to be, but then she would see something happen - such as the pointless display of questions happening now - and she would tell herself that there wasn't anything remotely special about him to begin with.  
  
"Miss Granger?"  
  
Hermione's head snapped up and she was looking into the cool, blue eyes of Professor Dumbledore. She couldn't be sure, but she was almost sure that he was. . . smirking?  
  
No, the headmaster didn't smirk.  
  
Right?  
  
"Yes, Professor?" Hermione answered, mentally smacking herself for even thinking that he would be someone that would go as low as to smirking. That was something that was reserved for Draco Malfoy, and him alone. She hoped, anyway.  
  
"Do you have anything you would like to ask?"  
  
'YES!' her mind screamed, and she began mentally running through everything that she had questioned through this school year. Nothing had really gone the way that she had hoped it would, in fact, she couldn't even remember how she had hoped things would go anymore.  
  
What would she ask him?  
  
Advanced Transfiguration. . . why had it been set up in the first place? Why had she been able to transform into a phoenix, wasn't that impossible? Why was it that only a few people had been chosen - she was sure it wasn't based on grades, seeing as some people that got top marks hadn't been there. Why was it her that had had dreams, and did he KNOW about her dreams?  
  
Time reversal. . . surely it was impossible, yet he had put her a Draco Malfoy - at the time, sworn mortal enemies - together on the project. Did he know something that nobody else knew? And why had she been in that room? Did he even know about that room and what had happened? She had the strange feeling that he did know.  
  
And what about that time that she had cast one of the Unforgivable Curses on Malfoy. Why wasn't she completely punished? Why had she been let off so, so, easy? Why - she shuddered to think she wanted this - hadn't she been expelled and her wand snapped? She had done something against the law. The ministry had been there, yet they hadn't seemed concerned with the curse. Why was this so confusing?  
  
And what about the hospital? Why had Lucius been tracking her - she was sure that his only reason hadn't been because she had the 'special powers'. So why had he been after her?  
  
And what were those 'special powers' anyway? Why hadn't she ever read about them in a book or heard something about them in classes? It would seem that something so powerful would have been mentioned to her at least once - once in her millions of classes and hours of independent study - so why did she know nothing about them?  
  
Then, why could she almost read Draco's mind? Nobody else ever knew what he was thinking, but she could read his thoughts, almost as though she could see his thoughts, fears, dreams, ambitions. . . everything.  
  
She shivered despite herself. Something was up.  
  
"Well, Professor. . ."  
  
---  
  
A/N: Ah, I know I'm evil, but I wanted to give you a chance to help me write this. What questions do YOU want answered? Anything you've been wondering, anything at all, and I'll try to incorporate the answers in, except the ones that would ruin part of the storyline.  
  
Happy hunting!  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	34. Maybe?

Again, I know... I promised that I'd answer reviews, but I've been so busy and it's already been so long since I updated. I couldn't bear to make you wait any longer than you absolutely needed to. I understand if you're angry.  
  
Please enjoy the chapter.  
  
---  
  
Chapter 32 -  
  
"Well, Professor. . ."  
  
So many questions rang through her mind, how could she possibly choose a single question at a time. It was going to be no small feat to keep from exploding, simply from the sheer amount of questions that were forming in her mind, and every time she thought of one, three more would pop into her head.  
  
There were simply too many!  
  
"Well. . . I. . ."  
  
Hermione stumbled for time once again. What was she going to ask him? Would he answer what she asked?  
  
She calmed herself and told herself - reassuringly - that there was only one way that she would ever be able to find out. She had to brace herself, get ready for the worst, and just ask.  
  
"Professor," she said, her voice going from stalled panic to business- like in one, swift change which seemed to shock Draco, but not Dumbledore.  
  
"Yes, Miss Granger." Dumbledore replied, looking at her over his half moon spectacles, and it almost bothered her how he could look and seem to BE so calm, yet she was puzzling over her every word. It just wasn't fair. Humph.  
  
Hermione sighed.  
  
"Alright, start at the beginning." She said. "Tell me why you chose Draco and I to work on the project you assigned us, even though we didn't get very far into it." Hermione remembered practically abandoning the entire project when her life began to veer off the perfect course she had set for it.  
  
Dumbledore looked at her appreciatively over his glasses and stared at her in an amused fashion, his eyes twinkling with mischief that she didn't know her old Hogwarts professor and headmaster possessed.  
  
"Ah, Miss Granger, I knew you would ask such a question." He stated, the familiar smirk/not quite smirk smile across his ancient face, and Hermione found herself smiling, despite what she told her face to do.  
  
"You see, I have many duties, abilities, and problems, just as everyone else, but mine are slightly more confidential and weighted. I knew that giving you that project was the first step to an important part of the future, and I knew that both of you would accept because your thirst to be the best and prove your extensive knowledge was better would out weigh your want to be away from each other."  
  
Hermione stared blankly into space for a second. Was she really that shallow? Was that really what anyone could see when they looked at her? Hermione Granger, all she wants is to be the best?  
  
"I also knew - to some extent - that it would have to be you two that, as you would say, 'saved the day', and not anyone else, even if they were more qualified in some areas."  
  
"You mean Potter." Draco burst in, loathing beginning to seep into his facial expression. Hermione suppressed a dissatisfied shake of her head and told herself that he was still, and always would be, Draco Malfoy, and there was nothing that was even going to begin to change that.  
  
"Yes, Mister Malfoy, I do mean Harry Potter. It would, indeed, given his track record, seem that Mister Potter should be the one to have this task, yet it is you I have given it to. Do you not see why?"  
  
Dumbledore paused, as if he was waiting for one of them to answer, but both had, apparently, drawn a complete blank. There was nothing that was coming to mind, no way for this to even begin to make sense.  
  
"You two have been singled out from the moment that you walked into this school, not only for your heritage or your houses." Dumbledore continued, still, apparently, waiting for one of the two of them to figure it out.  
  
He seemed to enjoy watching the two students struggling to find the answer when it was so painfully obvious to him.  
  
Hermione's eyes suddenly lit up and as suddenly as they lit up, they went out, like a flame lighting briefly and then being extinguished by a puff of air. Nobody spoke for a solid two minutes.  
  
"Professor?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes, Miss Granger?"  
  
"If you knew that it would be me and D- Draco and I that had to deal with what happened and you knew that it would be the two of us that still doesn't explain why you put us together in the first place."  
  
"Yes, yes it does Miss Granger, yet you don't understand yet, do you? No, perhaps you don't. Let me tell you something more." Dumbledore paused, as though searching for the words that would help him explain his point.  
  
"Years ago I was graced with the gift of foresight - not like prophecy - but somewhat the same. Yes, I can see things happening in the future, but not the same way Professor Trelawney can-"  
  
"Fraud." Draco said between coughs, Hermione barely caught it herself, and she wondered whether Professor Dumbledore had heard it or not. Hopefully not.  
  
"-but in a rather different way. I can feel emotion happening in the future, yet I do not know why the emotion is there nor do I know what it is happening because of, all I know is how someone is feeling at that point in time. Funny that is should be called foresight, forefeeling would be more accurate, would it not?"  
  
Hermione cracked a weak smile as her brain assimilated this new information. So Dumbledore had somewhat known what was happening, but not completely.  
  
"You knew what would happen later, and you wanted to make sure that you set up the foundation now. You needed to make sure that we could tolerate each other or else it wouldn't have worked in the future when we needed to help each other." Hermione said suddenly, and the words spilled out of her mouth before she realized what she was saying.  
  
Dumbledore nodded his approval.  
  
"Indeed, Miss Granger, indeed."  
  
"But then. . ." Hermione trailed off. It still didn't make too much sense. But it was starting to, now, wasn't it?  
  
"Alright, so Advanced Transfiguration. You didn't just set that up as an extracurricular activity, now, did you Professor?"  
  
"Guilty as charged, Miss Granger. I, indeed, did not set that up for all high marked students, just you two, but you made a wrong choice during that class which I did not foresee. You didn't choose the phoenix - yes, don't give me that look Miss Granger, I know what animals you had to choose from - and you should have chosen the phoenix. Instead you chose the fox, which set a right knot in the future."  
  
Hermione smiled sheepishly, knowing that she had somehow altered the future.  
  
"But you managed to work that out on your own."  
  
Hermione paused again, thinking about everything that had happened this year. Curses. . .she had cursed Draco, an unforgivable, if she wasn't mistaken.  
  
"Why wasn't I punished for breaking the law?" she asked immediately after the thought crossed her mind, and Professor Dumbledore regarded her with mild interest for a moment before he answered.  
  
"Because in order for following events to take place, it had to happen, following the law, or not, it does not matter. There are still events to come that shall coincide with said event, so we cannot dawdle on the issue."  
  
Hermione nodded and kept her thoughts, blurbs and opinions to herself while she tried to formulate another question. It was just so hard.  
  
She glanced over at Fawkes. He was such a beautiful phoenix.  
  
Phoenix!!!  
  
"Professor, how come I was able to transform into a phoenix? Isn't that impossible once I made my decision?" Hermione asked, genuinely wanting to know the answer.  
  
"That, Miss Granger, was my most confusing aspect, but I have traced how you managed to do it." He paused, almost as though for dramatics.  
  
"There is only one force more powerful than magic." Dumbledore said, again trailing off into silence.  
  
"Force?" Draco asked, slightly perking up at the thought of force being stronger than magic, but Dumbledore shook his head.  
  
"No, Mister Malfoy, no. Not force."  
  
Hermione thought about everything that she had ever been told and everything she had heard, and for some reason, Harry began to stick in her head and she couldn't get him out.  
  
What was it about Harry?  
  
His mother, his father. . . his mother shouldn't have died. . . Love. . .  
  
LOVE.  
  
"It's love, isn't it Professor? Love is more powerful than magic." Hermione could almost feel as Draco rolled his eyes and she longed to roll hers right back, but retained her dignity. For now.  
  
"Yes, Miss Granger, love broke even the strongest bond magic knew." Dumbledore said, his voice sounding somewhat distant and different. Hermione allowed the words to sink into her mind, realizing, to the extent, what they meant.  
  
She loved Draco.  
  
Even though she had known in all along, it was still something shocking to hear it said out loud, now, wasn't it?  
  
Her love - there was that word again - for Draco had saved herself and him from death. She loved him. Love, love, love. It sounded so foreign.  
  
This wasn't like the 'love' that she had felt for Harry and Ron, they were like brothers, Draco was something different. Very different, yes, but different all the same.  
  
In that room, that one room that had scarred her and frightened her and changed her forever, she had saved and been saved by the same person. Her entire life was going to be haunted by his memory, no matter what happened after today.  
  
That room had been horrible, the work for that project had been even more boring than Professor Binns, and she had almost lost her sanity trying to figure out the papers that Dumbledore had given them.  
  
The papers. The project. Time reversal was impossible, was it not? How was it possible to repeat something that was already done? Gone. Over. Impossible to come back to.  
  
But. . .  
  
"Professor -" Hermione said, her head jerking up.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Would it be possible for the world to be a series of worlds, each a second - no a fraction of a second - behind the other?" Hermione asked. Draco gave her a weird look and Dumbledore looked thoughtful.  
  
"Why do you ask, Miss Granger?"  
  
"Because, in order for someone to go back in time, it had to have not already happened, which would be possible if people went back to another world, parallel to our own. It would also explain why you were there, even though you had gone back in time. In truth, there are thousands of 'Hermione Grangers' and 'Draco Malfoys' walking around parallel universes, never to coincide unless one joins another by changing the time frame from where they should be to where another is, whether to do something or for no reason."  
  
Complete and utter silence greeted her words, and Dumbledore began to chuckle.  
  
Hermione frowned and looked at him wondering what he could have found so funny, and he continued chuckling quietly to himself for a little while before addressing her once more.  
  
"I always knew that you were too smart for anyone your age. And now you have baffled myself and probably will astound officials across the world. Never. . . never would I have imagined. . . parallel worlds. . ."  
  
Hermione felt rather proud of herself and turned to stare at one of the pictures on the wall that was giving her a smile and a wink. She winked back. She liked those portraits, they were rather nice.  
  
"Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy," Dumbledore said, and Hermione realized that at some point he had stood up and walked around his desk to stand next to the two of them, but she hadn't seen him move.  
  
"I bid you good day, enjoy the fresh air around you and I shall speak with the two of you again later." He shook each of their hands, his eyes sparkling even more than before she had said her thoughts about time and its wonders.  
  
Hermione began to wonder just how important her discovery was.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione lay back on her bed, happy to be out of Dumbledore's office, but also satisfied with the amount of information that she had been given.  
  
She had been rather surprised at his willingness to answer almost every one of her questions that she fired at him; perhaps he had learned over the years that answering all of the questions that he was asked made everything a lot easier than pretending they didn't exist.  
  
Hermione sighed inwardly and reached for another text book. She was so far behind in her studies that it wasn't even funny. She was even a little peeved that the OWLS had been called off for her and Draco, she felt that it was unfair to herself and Draco to take away such an important test, but Dumbledore had said that they had more than proved themselves.  
  
Yeah right.  
  
Hermione sighed again, this time letting it escape her lips and she lay her head on her arms, staring out the window. She didn't want to go home, yet she felt that she had to. So torn by her emotions, she didn't hear the door open or close, nor the person sit down next to her and stare out the window with her.  
  
Her mind finally turned to present time and she saw Draco sitting next to her, staring slightly at her and slightly at the wall behind her, so she didn't know what he was truly looking at.  
  
As she watched him, she felt a horrible pang in her heart as the question she had been dying to ask him since they had gotten back from the library resurfaced in her thoughts. She didn't know if she wanted an answer or not though.  
  
Did he, Draco Malfoy, love her or was he enjoying toying with her emotions? It was just so hard to tell, he was never really one of those people that were open about anything, but still. . . still. . .  
  
Did he? She needed to know, almost as if her life depended on it. How on earth was she going to get the answer? Maybe she wouldn't and the rest of her life would be lived in denial.  
  
It was horrible, knowing, knowing in the deepest parts of her heart, that she loved him, and there was more than a fifty percent chance that he didn't share her feelings. And that would be worse than not knowing, wouldn't it?  
  
She needed to know. But how would she be able to take the answer if it were the wrong one?  
  
"'Mione?" someone said, distantly, and she felt a tingle go down her spine. But, this time, instead of being happy that she still could feel that feeling, she was depressed because he had this much of an effect on her and he could just be teasing and manipulating her. That would be awful.  
  
"Mmm?" she said, not wanting to look at him, afraid of what she might see.  
  
"Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Of course." She answered immediately. She almost didn't have to think about her answer. She would answer anything he needed to know.  
  
"Could you ever see yourself with someone that was. . . different than you?" Draco's words were slow, deliberate and different than the way that he normally spoke.  
  
"Different how?" Hermione asked, wondering what on earth he could possibly be getting at.  
  
"Well. . . I mean. . . never mind."  
  
"Draco," Hermione said, suddenly realizing what he might have been asking her.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I love you."  
  
Those three words never worked out how they did in the movies. In the movies the other person answered promptly and assured the first party that they loved them too and they lived happily ever after, but Draco didn't even look at her.  
  
Hermione returned to staring out the window and she watched him out of the corner of her eye. He rose from his chair and stood, unmoving, and he watched her, as though she were the most interesting thing in the world.  
  
Then he left, closing the door softly, and Hermione tore her gaze away from the window, staring at where he had been.  
  
So it wasn't like the movies, but maybe, in his own, Draco Malfoy way, he had told her that he loved her too.  
  
---  
  
A/N: HA, one chapter left!!! ONE single chapter!!!  
  
Read and review!  
  
--Saquoia-- 


	35. The Answer

Chapter 35  
  
Hermione sat, twiddling her thumbs nervously as she waited for him to come into the room for the night, not knowing whether she was making the right decision, but also knowing that if she didn't get the answer now, she probably wouldn't ever.  
  
She was going to have to talk to him at one point, she had always known that, and she may as well do it tonight. She was tired of waiting around, tired of wondering about every step and breath she took and tired of worrying whether she was living a lie or whether it was the truth.  
  
She was going to find out once and for all and she was going to find out tonight whether her life was going one way or the other, whether she was together or alone.  
  
Tonight.  
  
Despite the fact that she was set to go about her task, it still took most of her will power not to simply run away the moment that she began to hear footsteps. It would have been so much easier just to ignore it, to tell herself that all was well, to pretend that her life was going the very way that she had always hoped it would, but something stopped her as she heard the footsteps.  
  
As they neared she began to physically shake and when she saw the door knob turn and begin to open the door to which it was attached, she literally went cold and debated hiding, but it was too late.  
  
The door swung open and he was there, leaving Hermione wondering whether she truly wanted to speak with him or pretend. She was capable of pretending, it would be so much easier.  
  
Hermione couldn't speak at first, her voice seemed to have run away, but she regained her composure long enough to utter his name in a poor imitation of her normal voice that didn't even manage to fool her.  
  
"Hello, Draco,"  
  
Hermione wished to die, right then and there, and simply take care of all her misery. She was making a complete fool of herself and she didn't want to have to live with it anymore. She could barely manage to stop herself from imagining how stupid she must look from Draco's perspective, it was already bad enough to see her like this from her own perspective.  
  
"'Mione, what's the matter?" Draco asked instantly, which told Hermione all she needed to know, that he knew something was wrong. It also told her that any career as an actress was out of the question. She couldn't lie for beans.  
  
Hermione sighed and turned to face him as grudgingly as she could possible manage to, she was going to get her answer right now, but she would also going to make sure that it too long enough.  
  
Ask, don't ask, ask, don't ask. She argued with herself in her head while there was stunned silence in the room around her. Despite the silence, though, she was hearing far too many voices trying to order her about. She finally caved in and spoke, her words slicing the quiet.  
  
"Draco, do you love me?" There was complete silence, and Hermione thought, briefly, that he might have not heard the question. Perhaps she should repeat it, just to make sure that he had properly heard her, that way she couldn't use it as an excuse when he didn't answer.  
  
"Do you love me?" she repeated, expecting an immediate assurance of his love.  
  
Silence met her ears and caressed them with such bitter harshness that she wasn't sure if she could handle it much longer. He wasn't answering, and she knew it wasn't because he was deep in thought. He had answered instantly before, and she hadn't said anything that would cause an instant answer, so her mind came to the last and only conclusion left.  
  
Draco didn't love her. Now it was so obvious. She had been so stupid, hadn't she? It was all making sense to her now, in these few, short minutes everything she had ever wondered was being answered.  
  
Then again, maybe he did and he was thinking of the most romantic way to put it, to make her glow with pleasure. That would be a nice change, she had yet to see him act even remotely as she was imagining now, but that didn't stop her.  
  
Perhaps he was preparing to make the most heartfelt and romantic poem of a statement that would ever grace the earth.  
  
Or maybe not.  
  
"To be honest with you," Draco said eventually, his words sounding both bitterly planned and drawn out, almost as if he didn't want to answer at all.  
  
Hermione struggled not to moan. 'To be honest with you. . .' those had to be the worst five words she had heard in a while, of that she was sure. Nothing good could possibly come out of a statement like that, now could it? No, obviously not.  
  
She resigned herself to hear the rest of the bitter sentence in silence. It was the least she could do. That way she would at least remember the last thing he had spoken to her before the last thing left in her life slipped through her fingers.  
  
"I'm not sure." Draco finished.  
  
It was all she could do to keep from leaping at him and demanding that he make a choice. How on EARTH could he not know? That was like not knowing the difference between white and black, it just didn't happen.  
  
"Not sure?" she choked out questioningly, wondering, now, whether this was better or worse than a straight forward no. She wasn't sure and she didn't really have time to weigh out the possibilities.  
  
Instead, her attention was fixed on Draco, trying to solve the new mystery that seemed to have appeared suddenly. Not sure? How was he not sure?  
  
"Yeah. . ." Draco nodded and began to stare intently at the wall, zoning out and thinking, clearly, while Hermione watched somewhere between awe and resentment. How could he plan his words so obviously? And how could he dismiss her with such an answer? Did he expect her to take it silently?  
  
What did he mean, he "wasn't sure"? How could someone not be sure? He was doing it again, he was toying with her and making her feel so much more pain, hurt and hatred than she should have felt.  
  
Didn't he know what he did to her, really, did he? He didn't know that when he said 'Mione her knees melted and it was all that she could do to keep herself standing. He didn't know that whenever he gave her that look that only he was capable of producing, she felt every rational thought in her mind whisk away.  
  
He didn't know that when he kissed her. . . well, she never thought the world would come back into clear focus. And now it was in such clear focus that it hurt. Everything was so sharp that is seemed to sting her, but it was too late, she had the answer, but he didn't understand, did he?  
  
He just didn't know.  
  
"I want an answer." Hermione said suddenly, sharply, and she surprised even herself. Her voice sounded so much harsher than she had ever thought she was capable of sounding and by the way Draco's head snapped up instantly, she had surprised him too.  
  
In one swift motion, he had stood up and crossed the distance between them, and by the way he was looking at her, he wasn't happy, which she should have figured anyway, but she was too occupied with herself at the moment.  
  
It was times like these that made her realize just how much taller than her he was, and it was even more prominent due to the fact that he was glaring down upon her as though she were the filth of a mudblood he had always said she was.  
  
His eyes were narrow slits and Hermione found herself thinking back to how it used to be, for so long, and she wondered whether she had just lost herself the one thing she had left in this world.  
  
"Maybe you can answer a question like that instantly," he said, his voice inconceivably calm and it was so calm, in fact, that Hermione was even more terrified than if he had yelled in her ear.  
  
"But I'm different than you are." He turned from her instantly, his robes swirling elegantly around his legs, leaving her staring at his back, but he continued talking, and it was all Hermione could do to keep from being completely immersed in listening to his every word.  
  
Hermione wanted to be able to choke out something, anything, but her mouth seemed to have lost the ability to form words, as had her mind. She was stupider than a mountain troll and she had no say in it edgewise. She simply stared at Draco's back, wishing he wouldn't be this way.  
  
"Miss Know-It-All Granger, there's always a perfect time for everything, isn't there? You have dreams about how everything turns out, don't you? Perfect prince in shining armor that sweeps you off your perfect feet and proclaims his perfect, immediate love for you. Well guess what Granger, this isn't the bloody fairy tales, because this is real life." He paused, in which time he whipped around to face her, and she almost wished that he hadn't. Almost, that is.  
  
"If you're waiting for your prince charming, better go talk to Potty and Weasel because he sure as Hell isn't here." He nearly spat at her and she felt her mind slowly starting to make distinguishable thoughts once more.  
  
Hermione marveled at the wide expanse of emotions she had witnessed from Draco Malfoy over the last months. He had cried, laughed, smiled. . . for goodness sake, he had kissed her, hadn't he? Surely that wasn't a normal Malfoy activity.  
  
She didn't know what was happening between her and the blonde that stood in front of her, both of them were so different, Slytherin and Gryffindor, girl and boy, good and evil, but the two of them, despite their differences, seemed to be exactly alike.  
  
Hermione wanted to be the best, and it was exceedingly obvious that Draco wished to be the best in everything as well. Both wanted to be powerful, noticed, intelligent, three qualities that could decide the fate of an individual, whether they were good or bad, whether the fought for right or wrong. It was all too much to think about.  
  
Perhaps in other circumstances they would have been sorted into the same house, perhaps would have even become friends in their first year because of their studies, but this was a world far from perfect, and it sure as heck wasn't happening here.  
  
Both of them stared into the other's eyes, neither moving, nor making a sound. Neither knew what the other was thinking; yet they were connected now more than ever before.  
  
Even as she looked into the hard, cold stone slates that were the eyes of Draco Malfoy, something was different about them, something had changed, and even if he denied it, even if he was too ignorant to notice it, there was something completely different about his eyes, the way that when his eyes were turned onto Hermione they softened, not so much that anyone could tell, but if you were to look carefully enough, you could see that Hermione Granger changed Draco Malfoy.  
  
She had changed him forever.  
  
Hermione didn't know what to think about this, knowing that that was a big responsibility. Perhaps she should have left Draco Malfoy, his evil, cunning, devious self, completely alone, but it was too late to change anything, and she didn't really want to leave him be.  
  
Truth be told, even if he didn't love her, she was sure, especially now, that she loved him. She loved him more than she had ever loved anyone in her entire life, and it worried her that she may have fallen in love with the one person that had enough power to kill her on the inside.  
  
The toll Draco could take on her would be far worse than anything anyone else could do to her. He could literally kill her, slowly and surely, and nobody would know exactly what it had been that killed her. It would be a mystery to everyone but herself, wallowing in her pain.  
  
Hermione swallowed and stared at the window, wondering what she was going to do, because she had this odd feeling that she was going to cry. She didn't want to know the answer to her question anymore, she just wanted to curl up in the corner and wallow in her self-pity.  
  
In one brief moment, Hermione's mood had changed and all she wanted was to be no one. Nothing special, nobody smart not even a slight bit brilliant. All she wished at the moment was that her magical powers would disappear, her intelligence would shrink and her life would go back to what she considered to be "normal". She wouldn't have to second guess everything people told her and she wouldn't need to worry about what she was doing, whether intentionally or by complete accident, because the worst she could possibly do would be to break a lamp, not murder someone.  
  
Hermione was snapped from her reverie by the sound of something falling to the floor. When she turned her attention to it, she realized that it was something that had fallen from Draco's hand and clattered to the floor. She scooted forward slightly, trying to keep Draco's attentions to what she was doing minimal, but he had already guessed her intentions and snatched the item off of the floor before she had had sufficient time to actually see what it was. With a sigh, she turned and went back to staring out the window, waiting for him to be the first to speak, but when he did, it was certainly not what she had been expecting.  
  
"Why?" he said, and his word was as piercing as it was surprising. Why? That was an incomplete question, and there were so many ways for her to begin to answer the question. She had so many questions she would like to ask in return and she had many haughty remarks she had learned from him to answer as well. Hermione Granger did not know how to answer his question, simply because she didn't understand it.  
  
"Why what?" she said, and she surprised herself with the harsh tone she had used, but reminded herself that Draco fully deserved it and she had no reason to even begin to feel bad about it.  
  
The answer, however, never came, and after a tense twenty minutes of silence, Hermione stood, Draco having already left the room minutes before, and followed his lead, her life seeming to make less and less sense with every step, rather than what she had hoped. Not only was she unsure of the one thing that she had thought was sure, but she now had to wonder whether anything in her life fit in with the puzzle that she was trying to solve now. The pieces refused to fit and she was beginning to feel the frustration that followed.  
  
Hermione sighed. Who knew it would be so hard? Had anyone ever realized that by the time she was hitting the middle of her teenage years, she would feel as if she were a forty four year old woman looking back on a long and turbulent life? Hermione sighed again and tried to figure out what she was going to do with herself for the next few hours because it was too early to go to sleep or eat. She would have to keep herself occupied and she would face everything the next morning.  
  
~+~  
  
Hermione woke the next morning, stretched and right when she began to think that she felt kind of good, the worries and problems from yesterday caught up with her and tackled her head on, crushing any good mood that she had possibly had any hopes of enjoying.  
  
She sighed and decided that she was going to forget it and be happy. She had two days left before the school year ended and she intended to make them enjoyable days, not days that she spent laboring over whether her fairy tale life was still possible. She would simply not think about Draco.  
  
Over the next hour, Hermione succeeded in thinking about Draco the entire time. She had a feeling that there was no way she would be able to stop thinking about him either. She sighed to herself, something she had seemed to be doing every moment and at every turn.  
  
She went back to the dormitory and sat down on her bed, staring at the Gryffindor decorations, remembering how this year had gotten to a start. Her father had been alive, Harry and Ron had had a chance of talking to her and Draco and her had been arguing at every turn.  
  
Was she better off now than she had been before this year got going? She knew more about herself and Draco Malfoy, but was it for the better? Hermione didn't know the answer to any of these questions either, and it didn't bother her, which was another difference between her and her old self.  
  
She stared out the window, trying to forget everything that had happened and become that once happy, care-free girl that she had always wanted to be, ever since she had learned that her father was going to die. She had always wanted to go back to the ice cream slurping, giggling naïve girl that she had always been, she didn't want to be blossoming into a young woman, as her mother said.  
  
Life was too confusing, that was the only way to put it.  
  
Hermione barely managed to keep from whipping around to stare at the person that had walked into the room at the sound of the door clicking, but she forced herself to be stationary, if the person really wanted to talk to her, they would make their presence known in their own, good time.  
  
"'Mione?" a voice whispered softly, and Hermione felt herself shiver, actually literally shiver. Instantly she knew who is was, even though she had thought she knew before, and she fought the urges she now felt. Kiss him, one part said. Slap him, said another. She remained completely still, letting the sensation of the unknown drop upon her as she waited.  
  
Eventually she found herself turning to face the person, but she had no recollection of telling herself to move in the first place. Her eyes met the one person that was capable of making her knees melt and her mind freeze.  
  
"Draco." She answered back, and she was surprised to find that she was whispering. Why on earth was she whispering?  
  
There was a deafening silence for a moment, only penetrated by the sound of breath or the shifting of fabric. Their eyes met and both stared at each other, not knowing what to do for a moment, and then he moved, putting his hand in his pocket and when it emerged, there was something in it. Hermione waited for an explanation.  
  
Slowly, almost shyly (Malfoy's aren't shy, she told herself) he extended his hand and she reached out for it, with the same amount of hesitance, wondering exactly what it was that was being given to her.  
  
The box was no more than two inches wide, nor was it any more than an inch deep, but the color alone was entrancing. From one angle it looked blue, from another it looked green, it was the most amazing box she had ever looked at. Gradually she opened the box, barely letting herself breathe, and what met her eyes entranced her even more than the amazing box had.  
  
Inside was a simple golden chain, but it wasn't the chain that Hermione found herself nearly gawking at, it was what was on the chain. A scarlet and orange phoenix was neatly fastened on the chain, a beautiful pendant that wound around itself and almost seemed to have a life of its own. In fact. . .  
  
Hermione watched the small bird-like piece of jewelry move. It moved a wing gracefully and Hermione found herself smiling. There was only one piece missing in the puzzle now.  
  
"Why?" she asked, her voice barely above the sound of a breath.  
  
"Because," he said, and Hermione's eyes left the pendant to look at him.  
  
"Because why?" she pressed, really wanting to know the answer.  
  
"Because, 'Mione," he said again, and right when she was going to press him for a more complete answer, he completed his sentence, leaving her breathless and only able to stare at him in wonder with a small smile spreading over her face.  
  
"Because I love you."  
  
~+~  
  
Awwww, so cute, LOL! I had to make fluff, I'm sorry, I was pressed to do it as well. So, tell me what you think, would you like more?  
  
A. What questions do you still have?  
  
B. Would you like to see a sequel?  
  
C. Random comments/criticism.  
  
Alright, let me take the time to thank EVERYONE of you. Though your comments were sometimes harsh, I did take them to heart and I hope that I have improved if not completely changed the problems that you saw.  
  
Thank you once again!  
  
Saquoia 


	36. Final Note

For my amazing readers that didn't realize that I had done this, I DO have a sequel to Reading Your Soul up, it is called Beyond Feeling. Feel free to check it out and tell me what you think of it.  
  
For those not planning on reading the sequel, thank you so much for reading this story and your reviews helped me change what I needed to change to make my story better.  
  
Anyway, thank you all for reading, and good luck in your writing.  
  
--Saquoia-- 


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